How an iPhone App Helped Catch a Suspected Burglar

A Salt Lake City man caught a burglar in his home with the help of his iPhone camera. ABC News Share ABC US News | World News Copy

A Salt Lake City man is crediting his surveillance camera and an app on his iPhone with helping catch a burglar at his home.

Brian Ways, 25, has a surveillance app on his phone called Nest Cam, he told ABC News. The app, which detects motion and sound, records footage through a camera he set up inside his house.

Ways said he was pulling into his driveway Thursday night when he was surprised to see all the lights on in his condo. So he stayed outside, he said, and pulled up the footage from his camera, which is pointed towards the door.

"I saw some woman poking her head in my door saying, 'Hello, hello?'" Ways said of the video, which he provided to ABC News. The video also caught the suspect grabbing a letter by the front door on her way in, and then yelling out Ways' name.

Ways called his roommate, who is out of town, and then called the cops. He said police arrived within 5 to 6 minutes.

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When police responded, the suspect was about to leave with property from the home, Lt. Mike Ross of the Salt Lake City Police Department told ABC News. The home video also documented a police officer standing outside and identifying himself as the suspect went to the door to surrender.

Ways said the suspect had grabbed a strange collection of items: a few receipts, his roommate's Red Sox tickets and matches that were inside Ways' suit jacket in his closet. But nothing in the condo seemed out of order, Ways said.

The suspect, Kista Dennett, 38, was arrested and charged with burglary, police said.

Ways said Dennett is a stranger.

"It still gives me goosebumps," he said.

Ross said he'd never been involved in a case like this before.

"We've caught burglars before, but it's unique with the new technology out there," Ross said. "I think we're going to see much more of it."

According to Ways, an app like this is a steep investment -- he said you need to buy the specific camera that goes along with the app as well as cloud storage for the footage.

But to Ways, the price is worth it. He said he's now going to install a second camera outside his home, too.

Source: How an iPhone App Helped Catch a Suspected Burglar