Thanks to an alert citizen, Warsaw Police officers were able to stop a burglary in progress.

It happened at about 10:35 p.m. Saturday, June 23, when police received the call of suspicious activity.

At M&J Auto Services, 1511 W. Lake St., an officer observed a person in dark clothing walking eastbound away from some tires near the fence of the business. The tipster reported seeing two individuals – one driving a green pickup truck – and one throwing items over the fence.

Police say Rico Valdez, 19, 820 Wexford Place, Warsaw, saw the police and began running but quickly stopped when an officer drew his gun. Valdez was then taken into custody without incident.

While investigating, officers found a door on the side of the business had been pried open to gain access. A step ladder was also used to prop open a garage door to remove the tires. In his statement, Valdez states that this was retaliation toward the business for work they had done that he was not happy with. Valdez was transported and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on felony charges of burglary and theft.

Police are not saying if Valdez may have had an accomplice. Valdez’s bond has been set at $5,000.