App leads to arrest in tented home burglary

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- Police have made an arrest in the case of a tented home burglary with some help from technology.

Tenant Chad Singer recently had his home tented for termites. Early Wednesday morning, two burglars entered Singer's residence and tried to rob his home. "[They made] a slit right up in here on the tent, and they cut another one here, and there's a window on the other side," Singer said.

The duo was wearing surgical masks to protect themselves from the toxic fumes inside the home. Singer said, "Actually, I'm very surprised because it is a highly toxic gas, and in order to go in there, you really need a self-contained breathing apparatus, like a regular gas mask or a painter's mask, is not going to protect you."

Singer was able to see the robbery in real time because of an app on his cell phone. "It's called 'iCam Source, and what it does is, it allows you to take a webcam and turn it into a surveillance camera and view it live on your phone," the tenant said, "and it will actually send you a push notification instantaneously if there's motion detected. It has audio as well, so if you turn up the volume, you can actually hear the sound inside the house."

Authorities arrived at the scene in about a minute. Singer said, "I was told by a police officer on scene that the first officer was on scene within a minute of the phone call. It was the best $1.99 I ever spent, compared to the hundreds of dollars that we spend on a security system, when I still beat the security company by 45 seconds calling the police."

Police arrested 19-year-old Darryl Power, who stays down the street from Singer. He faces burglary charges.

Power is actually lucky to be alive, since some previous tented home burglaries have come to deadly conclusions. "They were probably a little tingly on their skin," Singer said, "and probably had some soreness in their lungs this morning."

Police are still looking Power's accomplice.

If you have any information on his whereabouts, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

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