Camera Helps Nab Burglar
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COFFEEVILLE – The Yalobusha County Sheriff’s Department made a quick burglary arrest Saturday, Aug. 1, after a property owner received security camera images showing a break-in in progress.
Yalobusha County Sheriff Jerimaine Gooch reported James Bardo, age 60, was arrested after allegedly stealing multiple items from a property on County Road 267 outside Coffeeville. Bardo was charged with burglary, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and petit larceny.
“The camera caught this suspect literally in the act of stealing,” Gooch told the Herald. “That was a huge help in making an arrest within hours of the incident.”
Gooch said the property owner was away from the residence when the security camera sent the images. Bardo was booked into the Yalobusha County Detention Center, where he remains in custody. According to the sheriff, Bardo has an extensive criminal history, including numerous arrests by the sheriff’s office dating back to 2009, when he was arrested on charges of arson and attempted burglary of a residence.
It also was not the first time a security camera helped lead to Bardo’s arrest.
On Feb. 18, 2024, Bardo was arrested on a trespassing charge after a landowner complained about repeated trespassing on private property. Deputies installed a motion-activated cellular trail camera and responded after receiving a photo showing Bardo on the property.
Gooch said the case is another example of how trail cameras and other remote security systems have become valuable tools for both property owners and investigators, particularly in rural areas where homes, hunting camps and equipment may sit unattended for days or weeks.
“When property owners receive those alerts quickly and notify us, it gives deputies a much better chance of locating suspects and recovering stolen property,” Gooch told the Herald.
