SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police believe one man is responsible for at least six burglaries in the last four months. Each burglary took place at different locations but each was captured by surveillance video, which led police to make an arrest.
Fidencio Soto, 41, was arrested Friday, but police believed the burglaries began back in early November. According to one of his six arrest affidavits, Soto allegedly broke into a home off Harald Court while three children were inside.
Sabrina Gaitan said her family has lived with a broken sense of security for months.
“It made us feel like we weren’t able to feel comfortable inside our home anymore,” said Gaitan.
Gaitan said the day the burglary happened she had left to the grocery store. After she reviewed video from her surveillance cameras, she had a clearer picture of what had happened.
The video shows Soto walking up to the home, which Gaitan believed he thought was empty, but inside were three of her children.
Soto was seen moving the front camera away from his face before knocking on the front door. Vicente Lopez, 14, was inside the home with his younger siblings.
“I get a little peak of him but I didn’t know who it was so I didn’t open the door,” Lopez said.
Two cameras located in the back of the home were also moved away from his face. Lopez was in the living room when he heard someone trying to break in the back door.
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Lopez said he took his younger siblings to hide in the closet.
“The alarm went off, he ran and then the cops came,” he said.
Lopez said they waited in the closet for a few minutes before they were eventually found by a police officer. He said the moment taught him an important lesson.
“Be aware of your surroundings and pay attention to other people,” he said.
However, Gaitan said she is struggling to move on from the incident.
“It’s hard to get over a break-in, especially when your kids are involved,” she said.
Soto faces five charges of burglary habitation, one charge of intent to commit theft, and one charge of possession of a controlled substance.
His bond is set at $80,000.