Man arrested after trying to break into home

An Allentown man wanted in Lehigh County was arrested in Carbon after he tried to break into a home in Jim Thorpe.

Joshua Louis Perez, 25, of Alton Avenue, was arrested by Jim Thorpe police following an incident Feb. 7.

According to the affidavit filed by Jim Thorpe police, officers were dispatched to a home along West Broadway for a break-in that was underway. Upon arrival, officers found that someone had used an ax that had been sitting on the back porch to break the glass on a back door. Three people were home at the time.

The suspect, later identified as Perez, was seen running west along Broadway.

A short time later, police received a call from another resident near the first break-in to report that a person matching the description as the suspect was in their yard and then ran into the woods.

Just after midnight on Feb. 8, the original caller again called police to tell them that the suspect was again on West Broadway walking east. Police found him in the 200 block. The suspect identified himself as Joshua Gallardo.

Officers took him into custody and noticed he was covered in tree debris and had several fresh scratches on his arms and legs and had a clean cut, possibly from breaking the glass door, the affidavit said.

The residents of the home that was broken into were able to positively ID the suspect as the person who broke into their home.

After transporting the suspect back to the police station, officers could not find a record for a Joshua Gallardo in the system, but the suspect signed the initials “JP” to the Miranda Rights, so officers again asked for his name.

Perez insisted his name was Joshua Gallardo, even after being told lying to police would result in another charge being filed.

The man was then transported to Hazleton City Police Department and positively identified as Perez out of Allentown, who has an active warrant out from Lehigh County probation.

Even after showing him a photo from his driver’s license, Perez refused to admit his identity.

Perez was charged with criminal attempt to trespass, criminal mischief, loitering or prowling at night and false identification to law enforcement.

He was arraigned before District Judge Eric Schrantz, who set bail at $10,000, and taken to Carbon County Correctional Facility before being transported back to Lehigh County on the warrant.