Police arrested a 23-year-old man Tuesday for two burglaries within a mile of each other.
At approximately 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, Priest Pendleton is alleged to have broken into a residence on the 1300 block of South Fenbrook Court. Police believe he entered the residence through an open window near the front door, Bloomington Police Department Capt. Ryan Pedigo said.
A 24-year-old woman told police she woke up feeling Pendleton touching her mouth. When she rolled over to alert her boyfriend someone was in their bedroom, she felt Pendleton rub her buttocks, Pedigo said.
Pedigo said the woman's boyfriend got out of bed and turned on the lights. He told police he saw Pendleton’s shoes sticking out from under the bed and told the woman to go outside and call the police. He then went into the kitchen and pretended to start making breakfast so Pendleton would feel unable to leave the bedroom.
Officers arrived at the residence and ordered Pendleton to exit from under the bed at gunpoint, Pedigo said. After he exited the bedroom, police searched Pendleton and found a lanyard with two keys on it. One of the keys unlocked a car that was outside the townhouse and still warm from use.
Pedigo said a maintenance person for the neighborhood identified the car, a 2015 Chevy Spark, as belonging to another resident who lived three-tenths of a mile away. Police traveled to the residence on East Covenanter Drive and discovered the front door was unlocked.
A 22-year-old woman inside identified herself as a resident and was able to describe the car and keys police found, Pedigo said. She told police she had locked both outside doors to her home before going to sleep.
Pedigo said police believe Pendleton entered the woman's home through a window near the front door, similar to the other burglary. The window was closed when the woman went to sleep but appeared to have a broken lock.
The woman told police her dog had started barking during the night, but she was not sure at what time. She reported her keys and wallet had been taken from her purse in the kitchen. Police have not located her wallet, Pedigo said.
Pendleton was arrested on two charges of burglary, one charge of auto theft and one charge of sexual battery.
