By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A Sacramento parolee has been convicted in the March 14 burglary of a West Sacramento home.
A Yolo County Superior Court jury found Elbert Brown, 39, guilty of first degree burglary, conspiracy to commit first degree burglary and obstructing a peace officer in the performance of his duties, according a Yolo County District Attorney's Office news release.
Two days before the burglary, Brown had been paid to help the homeowner move into her new home. The homeowner had hired someone she worked with to help her and that individual brought along Brown, who was introduced as his cousin, to help.
The following day, the homeowner noticed that seven of her windows had been unlocked. Sometime after 11 the night of March 14, Brown returned to the residence with 18-year-old Cameron Caulk.
During the trial, the homeowner described the events that followed.
She was alone in the house and asleep when she was awakened by her doorbell. As she looked through the peephole and saw Caulk repeatedly ringing her doorbell she saw another person behind him and did not answer the door.
The woman then heard the two men in her backyard and could see their shadows as they walked around to several windows. A porch light illuminated the two as they moved around the back yard, but as they began removing screens from several windows, the porch light went out.
The woman was hiding in her bathroom and on the phone with 911 when she heard glass breaking in her kitchen.
When arrived shortly afterward, Brown and Caulk had left. Police discovered that several window screens had been removed and the light bulbs in two backyard porch lights had been unscrewed.
A West Sacramento Police officer located Brown and Caulk as they attempted to drive out of the area. Brown, who was on parole for burglary, fled. With the assistance of a Sacramento Police Department helicopter and a West Sacramento Police Department canine officer, he was located in a nearby back yard.
Brown testified during his trial that he only went to the victim's house because he had a dispute about how much money her had been paid by his cousin. He said he thought it would be OK to drop by the house at 11:30 p.m. because the woman had been nice to him while he was helping her move, the news release says.
Before Brown's trial, Caulk pleaded no contest to first degree burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary after being promised probation by the court.
Brown, who has an extensive criminal history including several state prison commitments for theft-related offenses, faces the possibility of 11 years in prison, according to the District Attorney's Office. He is to be sentenced July 29.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
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