Brothers in Indiana make citizen’s arrest in attempted burglary

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WTTV) – Two brothers in Bloomington say they halted a crime from happening at their home and now one man is behind bars Thursday.

Bloomington police say it happened at a home along Huntington Drive on the city’s south side.

On Wednesday morning, the brothers woke up to a tripped home alarm coming from the detached garage. The brothers investigated and found 42-year-old James Cornwall inside the garage.

The brothers made a citizen’s arrest of Cornwall, and detained him until police arrived.

Police arrested Cornwall on a preliminary charge of attempted burglary.

Bloomington police say while citizen’s arrests are legal in Indiana, they do not recommend them.

“What we really always recommend is citizens to be good witnesses. Using cell phones and the technology we have nowadays- taking pictures or video can be very helpful in us making apprehensions,” said Captain Steve Kellams of the Bloomington Police Department.

Nearby neighbors support the brothers and are glad they made the citizen’s arrest.

Cornwall is being held in the Monroe County Jail on a $500 cash bond. He’s expected to appear in court Friday.