Deputies arrest suspect on residential-entry charge

Police arrested a local man on a residential entry charge after he was accused of entering a home in the 7000 block of County Road 300S in southwest Bartholomew County and rummaging through a bag in a kitchen.

Darrik Burton, 33, 5321 Pine St., Columbus, is being held in the Bartholomew County Jail in lieu of $257,500 bond, jail officials said.

Bartholomew County sheriff’s deputies were called to the County Road 300S home about 2:50 p.m. Saturday when the resident said someone was knocking on her front door and had shaken it to see if it was locked, deputies said.

The woman told deputies she looked outside but did not see anyone. She then heard noises coming from her kitchen and retrieved a handgun, deputies said.

As she walked into the kitchen, she saw a man rummaging through a lunch bag that looked similar to a small purse, deputies said. When the man saw her, he ran from the kitchen and left the home, deputies said. The homeowner attempted to chase him but lost sight of him.

A short time later, Columbus police officer Jay Frederick, who was on his way home, saw a man walking north on County Road 400W who matched the description the woman had given to deputies.

He stopped the man and identified him as Burton, who the homeowner later identified as the man she found in her kitchen, deputies said.

Detectives are continuing an investigation including determining if Burton was involved in an attempted residential entry in the 6000 block of West State Road 46 at 12:10 p.m. Tuesday. In that case, a man attempted to break the door open and was stopped by a sliding chain lock. The man fled when the homeowner shouted at him and yelled at him that she had a handgun, deputies said.