MIAMI LAKES, Fla. — A 39-year-old man from Hialeah was arrested Monday on accusations that he tried to enter two homes in Miami Lakes.
According to an arrest report from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the incidents occurred Monday night along Kilmarnock Drive and were captured on the victims’ home security cameras.
During the first incident, the suspect, Jose Manuel Acosta, climbed the metal framing of the rear patio area to a townhome and approached the back sliding door, attempting to open it by pulling on it, authorities said.
Deputies said he then grabbed a hammer that was near the door and tried to pry it open, causing damage to the frame.
According to the report, a man who lives at the home heard a banging noise and then spotted Acosta.
Deputies said the victim asked Acosta what he wanted and Acosta said, “I wanna go inside.”
The victim then told him that he was going to call the police, and Acosta fled toward the victim’s neighbor’s home, authorities said.
According the report, Acosta walked up steps to the second victim’s rear patio and again tried to enter their home by pulling on the sliding glass door.
This time, Acosta grabbed a machete from an unlocked storage door and used it to try to pry the door open, authorities said.
Deputies said Acosta was not able to open the door so he walked over to nearby window and banged on it with the handle of the machete, causing damage to the window.
According to the report, Acosta was unsuccessful in breaking into the townhome.
Responding deputies said they found Acosta a short time later behind a short wall next to the victims’ townhomes, holding the machete in his right hand.
He complied with orders to drop the machete and he was taken into custody, authorities said.
According to the report, Acosta made “nonsensical and irrational” comments to detectives after admitting to the attempted break-ins, claiming that he “wanted to do home invasions” and said that he had committed home burglaries in 2007 and 2008, but had never been caught. He also claimed that during the home invasions he would “kill the kids” because they would call 911, authorities said.
Acosta was arrested on charges of burglary of an occupied dwelling and criminal mischief.
As of Tuesday afternoon, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without bond.
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