'Extremely Embarrassed' Burglar Gives Homeowners $200

An alleged burglar who apparently had his finger on the pulse of how much residential windows cost left a surprise payment behind after breaking into a home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Deseret News reports that a couple there came home Sunday afternoon after a weekend away and found quite a surprise inside: a man with an AR-15 rifle who'd allegedly forced his way in. Per a Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office report cited by the Albuquerque Journal, the suspect had bathed and taken a nap while inside the residence, while a statement of probable cause filed in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court notes that the homeowners busted the man eating shrimp and drinking beer, per the Santa Fe New Mexican.

The sheriff's report notes that a duffel bag and an AR-15 scoped rifle were next to the man, but instead of threatening the homeowners with the firearm, the "extremely embarrassed" suspect said he was sorry for breaking a window to get into the house. He dropped $200 on a living room chair as "reimbursement" before fleeing with his things. Broken window aside, the report says the theft totaled $15. Before he left, the man also told the homeowners that his car had broken down about 100 miles outside of town, and that he "was running from somebody" after his family had been killed in Texas.

Sheriff's deputies didn't find anyone near the property when they arrived, but on Monday, Santa Fe police patrolling the area near a local Church's Chicken after an attempted carjacking there picked up 34-year-old Teral Christesson, who they say was walking along the road. Deputies say that although he had nothing to say about the attempted carjacking, he admitted to them he'd broken into the Santa Fe home the previous day. Per the statement of probable cause, he told police he'd been "caught in a blizzard" and was afraid he might freeze, though he "felt bad" about breaking the home's window. Christesson, who has since been booked into Santa Fe County Jail, faces charges of aggravated burglary, larceny, and criminal damage. (More weird crimes stories.)