Woman Hides in Closet, Calls in Description of Burglar at Her Home

An 18-year-old man was arrested in connection with a burglary at a Bradenton home after a woman hiding in the closet with her 2-year-old called 911 with his description Tuesday morning. 

The 29-year-old woman, who lives in the 1200 block of 35th Avenue West, was at home with the child when a man knocked on the front door around 9:53 a.m., according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

She did not answer the door, deputies said, but she then spotted the same man hiding in the bushes behind her house, prompting her to call 911. As she and the child hid in the closet, the man tried to pry open the garage door, the sheriff's office said. The man entered the garage but was scared off without taking anything.

A deputy driving a transport van who received a description of the man from the sheriff's dispatch spotted him riding a bike on 35th Avenue West, according to a sheriff's report. The deputy stopped and detained the man until patrol units arrived.

The man, 18-year-old Travirus Epps, was identified by the victim and placed under arrest.

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