Man Accused of Breaking Into Home, Stealing Pooper Scooper in Pasadena

Police arrested a man on suspicion of burglary Sunday night after he broke into a Pasadena home and stole the residents’ pet pooper scooper, authorities said.

The unusual crime took place just before 8 p.m. in the 300 block of West Green Street, Pasadena police Lt. Sean Dawkins said.

Two residents at the home called police to report hearing banging noises coming from inside their home, along with the sounds of a male voice and doors opening and closing, he said.

They soon realized an intruder had ransacked the home’s back porch, and also broken into the home through a living room window, according to the lieutenant.

One of the victims caught a glimpse of the burglar leaving the property with the stolen property, described as a pet waste scooper, in hand, and relayed the information to police.

Officers spotted and ultimately arrested the alleged burglar outside a nearby grocery store, Dawkins said. The scooper had been placed inside the store.

William Martin Austin, 62, described as transient, was booked on suspicion of burglary, according to police and Los Angeles County booking records.

Bail for Austin was set at $50,000 pending his initial court appearance.