Two men were arrested on burglary charges after police say they illegally entered an Edinburgh apartment, ransacked and stole several items early Thursday morning.
David D. Holzhausen, 51, of Shelbyville, was arrested on charges of burglary and residential entry-breaking and entering, both felonies, and possession of stolen property, a misdemeanor. Lawrence A. Turnbloom, 26, of Edinburgh, was arrested on charges of burglary and residential entry-breaking and entering, both felonies, along with possession of stolen property and possession of a controlled substance, both misdemeanors. The Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office will decide what, if any, charges to file.
Edinburgh police were called to the 100 block of W. Main Cross St. around 4:55 a.m. Thursday after receiving a report of a residential entry in progress. While officers were on their way to the scene, they were informed by dispatchers the 911 caller had locked herself in a bedroom and that she could hear someone yelling, according to an Edinburgh Police Department report.
When police arrived on scene, they saw two men — Holzhausen and Turnbloom — walk around the front of a truck outside the apartment. When an officer asked what they were doing, Turnbloom said a male inside the apartment had thrown beer bottles and glass bowls at him, according to the report.
The officer informed the men why they were at the apartment, and the men said they did not go into the building and only stood outside. They said they were trying to speak to the man inside, but he did not speak English. Turnbloom also told police he just wanted to know the man’s name and that he had never seen him before, according to the report.
The officer noticed that Holzhausen was carrying keys in his hand, and when asked, Holzhausen said they belonged to the apartment. The men were then asked to stay with an officer while police went inside the apartment, the report says.
Police then spoke with the apartment occupants — later identified as the renters. Renter 1 told police they did not know what had taken place outside the apartment, but did say that both Holzhausen and Turnbloom had entered the apartment and that they had no right to be inside because they were strangers. The second renter confirmed this, the report says.
Renter 1 told police their front door was not very secure and that with some effort, anyone can get in, which is what they say Holzhausen and Turnbloom did. The renter also told police one of the men had tried to enter the locked room she was in. She later called police because she thought Renter 2 was in trouble after she heard Renter 2 repeatedly tell the men in Spanish to leave Renter 1 alone, the report says.
Renter 2 told police that Holzhausen and Turnbloom had ransacked the apartment. When police spoke with the men about what happened again, Turnbloom said he didn’t go inside, but later said he only stepped inside the doorway. Turnbloom told police one of the renters had invited him to come in, despite what the renters told police, according to the report.
When police told the men what the renters had said, Turnbloom said he did not try to enter the locked room. Holzhausen, however, said he had tried to open the locked door with one of the keys from the apartment. An officer then asked Holzhausen why he was inside the apartment, and he said he was just trying to find one of the renter’s IDs, the report says.
Police then spoke with the renters again and asked if anything had been taken from the apartment. The victims said Holzhausen and Turnbloom had taken a large black bag outside with them, the report says.
When officers went outside, one of the victims saw the bag which was located in front of the truck by Holzhausen and Turnbloom. Officers then placed the men under arrest, according to the report.
Police once again asked Holzhausen and Turnbloom why they were inside the apartment, and Turnbloom told police he entered to find out why stuff was thrown at him and that one of the renters had opened the door and let him inside, the report said.
Officers told Turnbloom this was not what they were told by the victims, and asked why they had carried out a bag with items out of the apartment when the victims did not consent to it. Turnbloom said he asked one of the victims if he had clothes or electronics he wanted to sell and that they had given him items, including clothes, shoes and an Xbox, the report says.
Turnbloom also said they were getting ready to walk to a nearby gas station so the victim could sell him the items. This was because he did not have money on him and needed to go to a nearby ATM to give money to the victims for the items, according to the report.
He then said he no longer wanted to buy the items anymore and that the victims could have them back. Police then placed Turnbloom and Holzhausen under arrest, and while searching Turnbloom, police found what they believed to be marijuana on his person, the report says.
Holzhausen was taken to the Johnson County jail on a $8,800 bond. Turnbloom was taken to the jail on a $9,800 bond.
