The 57-year-old homeowner was in Kissimmee Saturday. But she was watching her home’s surroundings through her camera-equipped doorbell, the security system that enables users to see what and who is at the front door, in real time, through an app and a phone.
And there, in the camera angle, the homeowner saw a man in a black hoodie and long pants, trying to break into the family’s Ford F250 parked in the driveway on Lancelot Drive in Palm Coast. The hooded man then moved out of the camera view and toward the house.
The homeowner contacted law enforcement in Flagler, and a sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to the area. A man in a black hoodie and green pants came out of the woods on Lakeview Boulevard, but walked along the woods as if to avoid detection, the deputy reported. The deputy doubled back and spoke with the man: Emmanuel Nixon, 19, of 6 Lindberg Lane in Palm Coast.
Nixon had a couple of run-ins with the law last year. He pleaded guilty/no contest to a first degree misdemeanor involving an assault on an elected official or an education employee, and possession of a small amount of pot. He served a month in jail. The judge withheld adjudication. The following month, less than a year ago, he was found guilty of petit theft. He had run-ins with the law elsewhere, too.
He told a deputy he was on felony probation for car breaks in Lee County. He denied being on Lancelot Drive earlier. He was wearing a black glove on one hand and a white latex glove on the other and had two black cell phones (he’d agreed to be searched). He also had a Spiderman handkerchief in his possession. He said he’d left home to go see a friend on London Drive and decided to take a trail through the woods.
As other deputies gathered, the homeowner emailed one of them footage from the Ring system, showing the hooded man wearing Spiderman handkerchief over his face and a black cloth glove on his left hand, a white latex glove on his right. The footage shows him realizing that he was on camera before disappearing out of view.
At the house itself, there were two fresh tool marks on the door and the door frame, according to Nixon’s arrest report. The door appeared newly installed. By that point, Nixon was more willing to talk, and conceded to walking through the neighborhood and scoped various vehicles on Lancelot Drive as he walked to his friend’s house. He claimed to have a history with the Ford he was trying to break into, having once had the keys but throwing them out somewhere months ago, he told deputies. (That part of the report is censored, as parts considered self-incriminating usually are, by sheriff’s officials.) He said he was unaware that the owners of the vehicle had the locks changed after being “reunited” with their vehicle, which suggests the vehicle may have been stolen before.
Deputies spoke with the owners of the other vehicles on Lancelot Nixon had spoken of. No one wanted to pursue charges as no items were missing from any of the vehicles. Nixon was arrested and charged with two counts of burglary and a count of probation violation. He’s being held at the Flagler County jail.
hawkeye says
I absolutely love these ring door bells and I am glad this guy got caught,according to the story he has had run ins with the law before,hopefully he goes where he belongs…prison.Also hopefully this will make some other thugs think twice before they decide to burglarize someones home.
Velma Watkins says
This boy is up to no good for a long time now. He wasn’t raised like that. He is shaming his family. Nothing you can do with him. Don’t take what isn’t yours. Simple. That Ring is good. Worth the money!
Jerry M says
Where’s the video?
Jeffrey says
Typical.
A.J. says
I was taught to ask, or work for what you need and want. A man of color attempting to steal and break in a person house. You get caught. What were you thinking about. Please change your life. The system is not for any man of color, please change your life. You do the crime you do the time. A record of stealing is not good for anybody, especially for a man of color. The system is against us we should not be against our selves. I hope her property wasn’t destroyed.
Maggie says
Result of catch and release. Hell be back next month to continue till a serious incident occurs.
Fuuknikka says
He was actually a good person, with a good heart. Just kept messing it up for himself
Steve says
The technology you covet is your downfsll sweet
Kim says
I saw the video and you can see where even after the floodlight came on he still tried to get into the vehicle. My friend was one of the others on Lancelot that he had tried to get into their cars, even looked in the back of my friends work truck to see if there was anything worth taking. I am defiantly now looking into getting a camera for my house now after this.
Mary Fusco says
@ AJ, stop with the man of color nonsense. It doesn’t matter what your race, you have NO right to take what someone else worked for. This young man is 19, not a 14 YO kid. He needs to be working in order to purchase what he wants. My son was in the Navy at 19, on a warship, not crawling around trying to steal what belongs to others. It is sad that hard working people have to spend money on alarms, cameras, lights, etc. because of low lives. GET A JOB is all I can say.
Stretchem says
Just a little devil’s advocacy here…
This clown didn’t actually burglarize. He attempted, but no burglary (as written in the article above) occurred. No breaking and entering occurred. It certainly isn’t unlawful to ring or appear to ring someone’s doorbell.
There are no laws against walking along the edge of the woods, though we do have unwritten laws in the south for walking while black and wearing a hoodie. He did not attempt to elude or flee the police when approached.
The point I’m making here is that with a little bit of sophmoric lawyering, this guy walks. Now his violation of probation is another matter and may require a junior or senior lawyer to get it reinstated. Probably won’t and he’ll spend 30 days’ish somewhere. But as of today, he has no bond and must stay locked up awaiting trial.
IN THE MEANWHILE. The old white clown from last week that actually burglarized a dwelling, tried to kill a deputy while fleeing and put the entire community in danger by speeding through town from the cops, well today he’s walking the streets again.
Two justice systems in America.
kathy roberts says
??? Then he’ll wonder why he ends up in prison? He happens to be black too………it won’t be because of that, even though he’ll probably say racism. Could be that more black youths do stupid, illegal things………..that’s what my black neighbor tells me. Don’t use your race as an excuse; in case anyone is thinking that.