A six-year veteran of the St. Louis Police Department is suspended without pay after being charged with first-degree burglary.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that 29-year-old Andrew Perez was reportedly intoxicated when he unlawfully entered a home around 4 a.m. Sunday while off-duty. Perez allegedly thought the home he was entering was that of a friend.
Police say Perez left when the homeowner confronted him, but the homeowner called police.
Court documents say Perez picked up a purse and began emptying it when the homeowner confronted him and forced him out of the house.
The officer's attorney, Neil Bruntrager, says Perez made a tragic mistake but does not deserve to be charged with burglary because he did not intend to commit a crime.
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