Arrest made in burglary of home on Fairway Street

A man has been charged in the burglary of a home on S. Fairway Street in South Bend, according to the probable cause affidavit.

On October 25, 2016, the homeowner returned from a business trip and discovered his home had been broken into.

The front door was unlocked, the back door window frame was broken and the back door was unlocked. Inside, the house was in total disarray.

The homeowner told South Bend Police the following items were missing: a television, pocket knives, Xbox One with games, compound bow, guitar, handgun, mini assault rifle, lawn mower, and two weed edgers.

Another officer spoke with the next door neighbor who told police he had seen a black Cadillac, which is normally parked at another neighbor's, parked in the victim's driveway a few days ago, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The neighbor said he witnessed a heavy set male walk toward the back of the victim's house, police said.

Police located the Cadillac nearby and looked inside the windows. On the back seat, the officer saw a guitar case. The victim identified the guitar case as his, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Officers spoke with the owner of the car, Johnnie Hamman. He said he found the guitar case lying against the victim's fence. He denied parking his Cadillac in the driveway, police said.

Officers then checked with local pawn shops and discovered Hamman had recently pawned jewelry, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The jewelry was identified as the victim's wedding band and his wife's rings by the victim, according to police.

Hamman was interviewed and denied ever going inside the victim's house and said he had never been past the driveway.

Hamman was arrested on Friday, February 10 on one count of burglary.