Suspect: I didn’t break into anything, all the doors were open

A Mountain Home man, 45-year-old Paul Langford, arrested and charged in connection with illegally entering a number of businesses, says he didn’t break into anything, all the doors were open.Langford was booked into the Baxter County Detention Center Tuesday morning and has been charged with two counts of commercial burglary, two counts of criminal mischief, and one count of breaking or entering, all felonies, along with a misdemeanor count of theft of property and being a habitual offender.According to the probable cause affidavit, early Monday morning Mountain Home Police officers responded to an alarm call at a local business, where they found an opened, damaged window. Entry was gained into the building, but it appeared nothing was taken. Telephone wiring at the building had been torn away from the connection box in an attempt to disable the alarm.A second business located down the street was also damaged in the same way. A metal trim piece around a door was bent by someone trying to make entry, and the telephone lines were torn loose from the connection box. External speaker wiring on the building had also been ripped out. Access to the building was not gained. A vehicle parked in the parking lot had been broken into. A pry bar was used to gain access to the trunk and into the passenger area. The hood had been raised and a battery was partially removed. Other items were taken from the business but were located hidden nearby by the owner.

A third business in the same area had also been damaged. The telephone wiring had been ripped from the connection box. The business was secured and alarmed and access was not gained. The business has a surveillance system and video allegedly revealed Langford walking by and waiving at the cameras during a six-hour time frame between midnight and 6:00 Monday morning. On one occasion Langford can be seen tearing the phone lines loose from the business.

At approximately 9:00 Monday morning, officers responded to a burglary call to another nearby business where they found a suspect had torn the phone wires away from the connection box, removed an electric panel cover and gained entry into the business. Once inside the offender turned over cabinets and broke interior doors, causing extensive damage to the networking system.

Tuesday, officers went to the Langford residence, where they found the Mountain Home man in his driveway. Langford reportedly yelled and cursed at the officers to leave before fleeing to the back of the residence and running through a doorway of a screened porch. His mother, who was standing near the back door of the porch when he entered, was almost knocked to the ground. Langford then shut her fingers in the door as he attempted to continue fleeing. He was caught inside the porch as he attempted to enter into the house.

Langford is a parolee with a search waiver on file and resides with his parents at their residence. Officers searched his bedroom at the residence and located the backpack, shoes, and bandannas he wore in the video at the third business entered on Monday.

Langford has at least six previous felony convictions in Arkansas and California. The violations range from burglary, theft and assault with a firearm and firearm possession. His bond was set at $40,000.

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