Police: Burglary suspect spurned halfway house

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — State prison records say a man who is accused of burglarizing a home while a woman hid in a closet had walked away from a halfway house.

The Connecticut Post reports that police have accused Herminio Velez of breaking into the Bridgeport home on Monday and trying to steal jewelry and electronics. The burglary was thwarted when the unidentified woman called police.

Department of Correction records say the 34-year-old Velez was released to a halfway house last September and failed to return in December. Records say Velez was serving a one-year sentence in March 2011 after he was arrested for failing to appear in court on earlier charges

He was arrested on Wednesday by State Police and charged with escape from custody.

It was not known Friday morning if he is represented by a lawyer.

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Information from: Connecticut Post