SEBASTIAN — Police are asking for the public’s help to identify a man who flashed a small gun while ringing a doorbell to a home Monday. A Ring doorbell device captured the man use a ruse about searching for a lost puppy to speak to the residents.
“Hey just wanted to know if you guys saw a lost puppy. He’s a pit bull, blue nose,” the man could be heard saying in the Ring device while the video showed him holding the firearm. “I believe he came in your yard, but I don’t want to look without permission.”
Video provided by Sebastian Police Department
https://neighbors.ring.com/n/OYAwbxbIgO
Sebastian police released the nearly three-minute-long video footage Monday on its Facebook page. The man could be seen wearing a white cap with the words “New York” etched in black, sunglasses with red frames, a red bandana covering his nose and mouth, a black shirt, green bookbag and dark-colored pants.
Police responded to reports of a man with a gun ringing a doorbell about 2 p.m. at a home not far from Schumann Drive, officers said. The man had left the residence before officers arrived.
Officers reviewed the Ring doorbell video that captured the incident. The footage showed the man knock on the front door several times before removing a piece of paper hidden underneath his cap.
The man used his T-shirt to ring the doorbell, then looked at the piece of paper, the video showed. When the homeowners didn’t answer, the man left a message on the device.
The man left when one of the homeowners responded through the device and said he had the wrong address. Anyone with information on the man’s identity should contact Sebastian Police Department at 772-589-5233.
“Anytime someone is openly brandishing a firearm at a residence not belonging to them, it can become a dangerous situation for them and everyone around them,” Sebastian Police Cpt. Tim Wood said. “If this happens, individuals need to call the police immediately, provide as much identifying information as possible, seek a safe location away from the windows and doors, and do not confront the individual.”
