London police were forced to wade into the Thames River to arrest a man who is accused of breaking into an Old South home while an 11-year-old girl was inside.
The London Police Service said on Tuesday at around 1:15 p.m., the young girl heard a knock at her door, which she did not answer. When the girl's dog began to bark, she started to walk upstairs to check on it but found an unknown man inside the home instead.
The girl fled the home fearing for her safety and got the attention of a couple who were walking by. One passerby went up to the house and saw a man hiding in the bushes at the side of the home.
The passerby chased the man toward Euclid Avenue after the police were called. The citizen continued to follow the man at a distance after the burglar threatened him.
In an attempt to escape, the man changed out of his shoes and into a pair of rollerblades and took off on the bike path in Thames Park. When police arrived, they saw the man enter the Thames River but officers went in after him to make an arrest.
As a result, 38-year-old Christopher Sean Simpson of London is now charged with break and enter, possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, uttering threats and failing to comply with a release order.
The stolen items have been recovered and no one was injured during the incident.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the London Police Service at (519) 661-5670 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Information can also be sent in online anonymously to www.londoncrimestoppers.com.
