A home security surveillance system captured a Eunice man in the act of burglarizing a Eunice area residence on Sunday, according to St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz.
Not only was Christopher J. Sonnier, 47, of the 500 block of Joe Road, Church Point, on the video, he was familiar to deputies from previous criminal activity, Guidroz said.
Sonnier entered the Eunice area property and knocked on the doors to the house and when no one answered he attempted a forced entry, Guidroz said in a news release.
Sonnier then went to a shed on the property where he got sledge hammer and used it to gain entry through a back door, Guidroz said.
Sonnier ended up stealing two firearms and then fled, he said.
“Thankfully, the homeowners had a surveillance video system which captured the entire burglary. Sonnier is known by deputies for past burglaries and was immediately identified off of the video. The video system was the key factor in this case and everyone is urged to consider installing a security system in their home,” Guidroz said.
Sonnier is a convicted felon after entering a guilty plea on March 22, 2013, for simple burglary, he said.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Sonnier and the next morning Eunice Police officers caught Sonnier while he was attempting to break into a business, he said.
Sonnier was taken to the sheriff’s office.
Sonnier is charged with criminal trespass, criminal damage to property, simple burglary and theft of a firearm by a convicted felon.
No bail was set.
