Man Breaks-In Home Through Doggie Door

MESA - Mesa police are looking for a man who they say broken into a home through a doggie door and assaulted a teenage girl inside.

It happened Monday just after 4 p.m. Police say a girl who came home from school encountered a home invasion suspect in a hallway in her home, located near Guadalupe and the Loop 202. The suspect shoved her and fled -- and police say he had come in through the dog door.

All the other entrances appeared closed or locked.

"We've had a number of what we consider doggie door burglaries," says Mesa Police Officer Chad Townley. He recommends locking metal slides, which are included with many doggie doors, and lighting the area.

"The doggie door is lit up so it's not completely sitting in the dark. Posting signs like Beware Dog, No Trespassing. Stuff like that."

Mike Evans, a PetSmart manager, says there are doggie doors that are more high-tech. "We have the smart door here which has a little sensor that goes on the collar. It will only open when the dog is near the door itself."

He has a warning for burglars. "If you're going to climb through it, you better make sure it's a Poodle and not a Rottweiler on the other side."

The 16-year-old girl is expected to be ok.