Burglary suspect attempts pathetic escape, falls off ladder into pool, is later found hiding in the yard by police

A man who appeared to commit a home invasion was arrested after failing to flee the scene and falling off a ladder into a residential in-ground pool.

The suspect, identified as 36-year-old male David Verdun, was pictured on video climbing out of a Beverly Hills, California, residential window before attempting his daring escape.

With the window screen lying on the ground near the house, the alleged burglar was next seen attempting to climb on top of a patio structure with a ladder.

Verdun seemingly made multiple attempts, first slipping down the ladder before grabbing onto some brush to prevent a fall. Then, the suspect fell backward off the ladder, catching his foot in one of the bottom rungs before flailing into the pool. The ladder fell into the water after him.

Footage was captured after the home's security system alerted authorities of a break-in, ABC7 reported. Police flew a drone over the property and recorded the man's futile attempts to escape.

After climbing out of the pool, Verdun allegedly tried to hide in the yard, presumably soaking wet, but police soon located him and took him into custody.

Such drone-policing tactics have become increasingly normalized due to dwindling police staffing numbers, which in some regions is caused by police-defunding initiatives.

In Asheville, North Carolina, police have ramped up their use of drones to fill in staffing gaps and monitor crimes committed by homeless people.

With tourism down an estimated 11% in 2023, police were using drones to crack down on the aforementioned crimes. Fifteen police employees at that department gained certification to fly drones while on duty, with the department owning six of the aerial vehicles.

Also, the New York Police Department dispatched drones to monitor complaints regarding backyard parties and private social gatherings over Labor Day weekend in 2023.

During a press conference, NYPD Assistant Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said, "If a caller states there is a large crowd, a large party in a back yard, we're going to be utilizing our assets to go up and check on the party."

New York City recently abandoned a different robot-assisted pilot program, however.

In early February 2024, the NYPD ended a six-month program of a patrol robot named K5 that monitored the city's subway system. A report claimed that riders almost never used it for safety purposes.

Similar robots have been used to patrol areas in Portland, Oregon, as well.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!