MILFORD — A Ligonier man was arrested after he broke into a family member’s house, demanding money.

Alan Lee, 20, 877 East US Highway 6, Ligonier, is being charged with burglary, a level 4 felony and attempted theft, a class A misdemeanor.

Alan Lee

On March 7, dispatch received a call about a burglary and could hear the door being broken down when a suspect gained entry to the residence. An officer with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department arrived and observed Lee and another male subject exiting the residence. The male subject was yelling and pointing at Lee.

The officer spoke with Lee, who advised that he did not know the victims who lived at the residence but they were family.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, the victim had received a phone call from Lee earlier in the day. He wanted money and the victim advised him not to come to the residence. The victim then observed Lee arrive at the residence and approach the front door. She told him to leave and he walked around the residence banging on the windows and doors.

Lee then kicked in the front door of the residence and entered without permission. He demanded money to pay for a wrecker driver. The victim continued to tell him to leave the property and refused to give him money. The victim told officers that she was in fear for her life and debated on obtaining a firearm from inside the residence to protect herself. The officer observed a footprint on the front door and a broken door jam and frame.

The officer spoke with an employee from the wrecker service. The employee advised that he had been dispatched to SR 6 and SR 15 to a disabled vehicle. He arrived and met Lee who needed gasoline. Lee did not have the funds to pay the wrecker employee and asked the employee to follow him to a family member’s business in Milford.

The employee followed Lee to the business in Milford but no one was present. He then followed Lee to the residence. The employee observed Lee approach the residence and walk around the residence when no one answered the door.

The officer arrested Lee and searched his person. The officer discovered a disconnect switch from an air conditioner electrical box and numerous Chinese documents and credit cards that did not belong to him. The officer went to the rear of the residence and found the disconnect switch came from the residence’s air conditioner and that the front cover was torn off the box.

Lee was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on March 7 with a $5,250 surety and cash bond.