Home surveillance video leads to Cedar Rapids man’s arrest for burglary in woman’s garage

A Cedar Rapids man was arrested over the weekend after he allegedly broke into a woman's garage and stole several items.

According to the criminal complaint, Joshua A. McHale, 33, is accused of second-degree burglary.

The charge, police said, stems from an incident that occurred at about 9:35 p.m. on May 12, when a woman reported seeing a man in the garage of her residence in the 1600 block of Ninth Street NW.

According to the Cedar Rapids Police Department, McHale was allegedly in a garage taking items when the homeowner entered the garage and confronted him. Police said the homeowner found McHale hiding behind a half wall inside the garage.

Police said the homeowner — a woman — had gone into the garage to investigate a motion light being activated. The woman told police McHale had a handgun in his waistband at the time of the burglary, so she retreated to her residence to get her 6-year old into the house and call 911.

McHale was caught on surveillance camera during the burglary, according to the criminal complaint. Several thousands of dollars in items were stolen from the garage, police said, including a welder, a portable generator, and numerous tools.

The police department said the homeowner shared that video on social media and several respondents identified McHale as the suspect.

McHale was located just before 10 a.m. on May 25, police said, when he was spotted by an officer walking near 14th Street and Second Avenue SE.

He was arrested on two warrants for revocation of pretrial release for two counts of second-degree theft.

Once in custody, he was taken to the police station and interviewed, during which investigators said he allegedly admitted his involvement in the burglary.

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