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Burglar arrested; victim tells what happened
Posted: 01.29.2012 at 12:14 AM
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KIRKSVILLE, MO -- Kirksville police have one man in custody in connection to two burglaries that happened during the holidays near Truman State.

On Saturday, we talked to one of the victims, who said she is still shaken by the incident.

For her, it was supposed to be a vacation, but instead it turned into a nightmare. Truman student Ashley Shields was house sitting in an apartment on S. Florence street Dec. 20. She said she was relaxing and watching a late night movie with the lights off when she heard a jingling noise at the door and soon realized it wasn't just the wind.

"I started hearing a banging noise like someone was shoving themselves against the door," Shields said. 

"At that point, I got scared. The door flies open and the lining of the door fell off because he had broken it down. Then I shot up and I'm like (gasps). I couldn't even speak and I just starred. And I just see this shadowy figure and he looked at me for a second and I looked at him and then he just like urghhh. I guess he was just mad because I was there."

Shields said she was terrified.

"I was in so much shock that there was just a man at this door that I did not know that clearly just broke in and I'm like Oh my God."

She then snapped out of it and called 911. She said they arrived in two to three minutes, and that's when they discovered that a home nearby on S. Davis Street had also been broken into.

From there, police said they were able to follow footsteps in the snow, that led to a home on the 700 block of E. Randolph Street.

Inside the home, court documents indicate that police found 31- year- old Antonio Garcia. It took investigators a month to collect more evidence. On Jan. 27, they arrested him.

We told Shields the news. She took a sigh of relief, but said the nightmare is still on her mind.

"Honestly, I'm still kind of freaked out just like being by myself. Now, I find myself taking extra precautions. This door locks by itself and now I even use the top lock on it. I get nervous just walking from the computer lab upstairs down here or like walking anywhere by myself at night."

Antonio Garcia, of Kirksville, remains in the Adair County Jail on a $50,000 cash only bond.

Along with being accused of breaking into two residences, he has also been accused of receiving stolen property. He has been charged with four felonies, including burglary in the first degree, burglary in the second degree, receiving stolen property, and possession of burglary tools.

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