By Ryan Yousefi
A man found living inside a vacant house for sale was arrested and charged with the attempted burglary of a second home in the same neighborhood.
On October 1, the Margate Police Department responded to a reported burglary attempt at a vacant residence. Upon arrival, officers began investigating the reported break-in attempt and made contact with a black male, later identified as Mychael Napoleon Allen, 35, of Woodbridge, Virginia, who matched the description of a suspect involved in an attempted burglary of another residence the previous night.
The arrest report shows Allen was seen on surveillance footage from the property, and when questioned about his presence in the area, claimed to reside at the vacant address officers responded to.
However, surveillance footage from the homeowner that reported an attempted break-in the day prior showed Allen, in the same clothing he was found in the day of his arrest, trying to open the front and side doors of the residence and wandering into the backyard.
According to the report, the homeowner of the house where Allen was living told officers it was currently up for sale and that no one should be living there. He was unfamiliar with Allen and had not provided him with a key to the residence, but somehow, he had a key that unlocked the front door.
Upon further investigation, surveillance footage from the vacant home’s security system showed Allen breaking into the rear screen door of the residence and entering the house.
Upon arrest, Allen identified himself in multiple surveillance videos, confirming, “That’s me!”
When questioned about why he was living in a home that should be vacant and of which he was not a tenant, he deflected, instead providing a detailed description of the home’s contents to prove the house was his.
Based on the evidence gathered, Allen now faces multiple charges, including attempted burglary of an unoccupied structure and attempted break-in of an additional home without authorization.
Allen was arrested and transported to the Broward County Main Jail, where he is held without bond.
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Author Profile
- Ryan Yousefi has lived in Coral Springs for over 30 years. He has worked as a writer for multiples outlets over the years, including the Miami New Times where he has covered sports and culture since 2013. He holds a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree in Business Healthcare Management from Western Governors University.
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