A Mt. Pleasant man was arrested in Middletown last Sunday following a break-in that occurred on Tuesday, July 11.

The Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the resident, who reported she saw the individual breaking into her home around 10:18 a.m. via security cameras. She returned home after work to find a knife, shirt, loofa, and two bags of weeds just inside the front door. A t-shirt and a pair of her granddaughter’s underwear were missing, and the victim later reported she found a used condom in the trash can in her granddaughter’s room.

The perpetrator, 50-year-old Francisco Perez, was identified by booking photos from prior offenses and taken into custody on Sunday, July 16. When interviewed, Perez claimed he was intoxicated and believed the home belonged to a family member. He was charged with third degree burglary, a class D felony, fifth degree theft, a simple misdemeanor, and trespassing, a simple misdemeanor.

Perez was transported to the Des Moines Correctional Facility and held on a $20,000 cash-only bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday, July 27.