Alert neighbor credited with Redding burglary arrest
REDDING — An alert citizen who had been keeping an eye on their neighbor’s east Redding residence while they were out of town is being credited with alerting law enforcement officers to an in-progress burglary early yesterday morning, Wednesday, Mar. 6.
Officers who responded to the scene discovered the home’s front door had been forced open and subsequently located and apprehended a man who claimed to have recently purchased the residence and said he had permission to be there. After a few phone calls, officers confirmed the true owner of the home had never met the alleged suspect and that the man had no permission or legal reason to be inside the home.
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Redding police officers were first alerted to the possible burglary around 2:55 a.m., after the eagle-eyed neighbor spotted a man “hiding in the bushes across the street, at his neighbor’s home,” Redding Police Sgt. Brian Cole explained after the incident and arrest.
“The citizen knew the homeowner was out of town and called 911 while continuing to watch the suspect,” Cole explained.
As the neighbor continued watching the man and providing updates to SHASCOM emergency dispatchers, “the suspect then approached the front door and kicked it open to gain access to the residence,” said Cole.
When officers arrived in the area and cautiously approached the residence, they saw several of the home’s lights had been turned on and they could see movement inside.
As officers approached the home a man, later identified as Connell Rhoden, 59, of Redding, opened the front door.
Officers quickly detained Rhoden without incident and began questioning him about why he was at the home at that early hour. Officers also conducted a records check and learned Rhoden had a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest.
Although Rhoden claimed he had purchased the home and told officers had permission to be inside it, officials discovered the front door had been forced open, and that the home’s front door frame and lock were damaged.
As their investigation continued, officers were able to contact the real homeowner by phone, who confirmed he had never met Rhoden and that the man had no permission or reason to be at the residence.
Based on their investigation, officers arrested Rhoden and he was booked into Shasta County Jail in Redding on suspicion of burglary as well as his outstanding warrant.
Anyone with information about this investigation or Rhoden’s alleged criminal activities is encouraged to contact Redding Police Sgt. Brian Cole at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 19R014502 and can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.