By Harold Egeln
Brooklyn Eagle

BAY RIDGE -- An attempted burglary inside a Victorian-style home at Ridge Boulevard and 78th Street was thwarted Wednesday by a watchful neighbor calling 911.

The immediate action by police from the 68th Precinct, backed by a SWAT team and a circling NYPD helicopter, resulted in the arrest of one suspect at the site around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, said Captain Jeff Schiff, the executive officer of the precinct.

Police identified the suspect as Jorge Rodriguez, 27, who was allegedly found with heroin, drug paraphernalia and a stolen check in his possession at the time of his arrest. According to police, he has an existing record, having been arrested a month ago on drug charges.

"An alarm went off at the house, as a neighbor saw someone going into a window, with feet dangling outside," said Capt. Schiff, speaking on site. "The neighbor promptly called 911, and we were on the scene right away, in full force," added Schiff. Once police realized the suspect was still in the house, they summoned reinforcements from the canine, aviation and SWAT units.

The suspect surrendered immediately, signaling to police from a broken window at the side of the house. He was taken in custody by Officer Robert Marshall.

Owner of the home is Helena De Paola, the proprietor of the Home and Garden Nursery on Fifth Avenue in Bay Ridge. At the time of the attempted burglary, she was having brunch at Pegasus Restaurant on Third Avenue with some friends. Ms. De Paola was alerted, sped back, arriving on the scene while the arrest was still underway.

"A suspect was caught and arrested," said Capt. Schiff. "This action is a great example of the result of the community and police working together, with a watchful citizen who acted quickly, which helps us do our job of public safety."

--- Additional reporting by Phoebe Neidl

© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2008 All materials posted on BrooklynEagle.com are protected by United States copyright law. Just a reminder, though -- It’s not considered polite to paste the entire story on your blog. Most blogs post a summary or the first paragraph,( 40 words) then post a link to the rest of the story. That helps increase click-throughs for everyone, and minimizes copyright issues. So please keep posting, but not the entire article. arturc at att.net