Phoenix PD: Suspect in burglary of hoarder's home caught

PHOENIX (CBS5) -

Phoenix police said a man was caught Tuesday morning as he tried to burglarize a home being renovated by a good Samaritan Phoenix police officer and his friends.

Jesus Salas, 29, was caught as he tried to run from the Maryvale home of Linda Tims about 7 a.m. Tuesday, Phoenix police Officer James Holmes said.

Salas was holding copper pipe when officers arrived and had removed a window air conditioner that had just been installed by Officer Glenn Branham and friends he recruited to help clean out and fix up Tims' home that had been damaged by previous criminal activity.

Tims' plight and the unselfish acts of Branham, et al., were featured on CBS 5 News on Aug. 22.

[READ: Phoenix cop helps clean, renovate hoarder home]

Tims' unoccupied home was initially burglarized Aug. 17 after she was forced to move in with her daughter. Her air conditioner had been damaged by thieves who were after the copper piping.

On his own time, Branham began cleaning Tims' house. He and some friends and other volunteers he recruited replaced the stolen copper pipes, fixed the air conditioning and help clean out the house from years of hoarding. Branham spent his own money to replace the pipes, Holmes said.

On Saturday, Aug. 23, Branham and about 20 friends and family started to get the home ready for renovation.

The next day, about 7 a.m. while on patrol, Branham drove by Tims' house only to find that someone had again broken in and stolen about $1,000 of her personal property.

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Phoenix PD: Suspect in burglary of hoarder's home caught