A burglar got a lot more than he asked for when he broke into a home in Fairlawn last week.
The home's owner — an Akron pastor — caught the robber in the act and, with the help of his son, was able to hold him down until police arrived.
When 60-year-old Jerome Parker and his 25-year-old son Joshua got back to their Stanley Road home around 11:30 a.m. Thursday they heard noises coming from upstairs.
While walking around the house, they noticed the front door was open.
To investigate, Joshua and Jerome went upstairs. They opened a bedroom closet to find a burglar inside.
The men held down the burglar — later identified as 25-year-old Joshua Hawkins — until police arrived.
"Personally, I commend them. They used excellent restraint in just hanging onto him and holding him and they did a great job," said Sgt. Randy Bartlett. "In this particular situation, it worked out well. They assessed the situation and felt they could detain him and they did."
Hawkins was charged with aggravated burglary and booked in the Summit County Jail. Police are investigating whether he is linked to other burglaries in the area.
