Thursday morning, a man saw his great-grandson trying to break into his house with a fork, police said.
Ezra Aazon Strickland Jr., 19, of Gainesville, is accused of trying to burglarize his great-grandfather’s home on Southeast Ninth Place by prying the back door open with a fork and a wrench, according to a Gainesville Police arrest report.
Strickland’s great-grandfather watched from the back window as Strickland knelt down as he tried to pry the door open. He called police as Strickland unsuccessfully used the fork and wrench to get inside, the report said.
The great-grandfather told police that Strickland hasn’t been welcome in his home for a year and accused him of stealing from his house before, police said.
Strickland was able to break into the house last Friday and stole $200 in cash, the report said. The great-grandfather did not report the burglary to police.
When police arrived, Strickland began to slowly walk away from the door and into the yard. Police found Strickland hiding behind an oak tree in the front yard, the report said.
There were scratch marks on the door and a wrench and fork in Strickland’s pants, police said. Strickland denied trying to get in.
Strickland was charged with attempted burglary, the report said. He is held in Alachua County Jail in lieu of a $25,000 bond.
Contact Amanda Rosa at arosa@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @AmandaNicRosa
