Man zip tied by Austintown family after he allegedly broke into their home
It's a crime that's happened so often that an Austintown family resorted to desperate measures to catch a man suspected of repeatedly burglarizing their home.
AUSTINTOWN TWP., Ohio - It's a crime that's happened so often that an Austintown family resorted to desperate measures to catch a man suspected of repeatedly burglarizing their home.
When the alleged thief showed up early Wednesday morning, the home owner's daughter and son-in-law surprised him by zip tying the suspect until police arrived.
The sign above the door at Ed Klacik's Kirk Road home reads "Peace To All Who Enter Here." But early Wednesday morning the rules all changed.
That's because 39-year-old James Centafanti returned to this Austintown home for the fourth time this week allegedly to burglarize his former employer's residence and steal cash.
Ed Klacik, who runs his company Klacik Heating and Cooling from his home, said, "Well, the concern is the fact that you know I have my grandkids here and he's coming here at night and I want my grandkids to be safe. And I had to catch him."
Centafanti had already served 45 days in jail for breaking into Klacik's home two years ago.
But when he returned and allegedly did it again, the family was fed up and planned a stakeout.
Klacik's daughter, Rosa Spelich, and her husband, Gregory Spelich, stayed up all night in the garage and had surveillance cameras rolling.
They believe Centafanti had stolen thousands of dollars over the years from the Klacik home.
"We constantly were just checking the cameras and we looked at it and saw that he was here," Rosa said.
Just around 4:00 am in the family had turned into their own makeshift SWAT team. Although police don't recommend taking the law into your own hands.
Rosa Spelich says her husband entered the home from the garage surprising Centafanti with a bright flashlight as the suspect was in the kitchen with no place to run.
That's when Rosa placed the zip ties on his wrists.
"But I pulled it really tight and he couldn't do anything or go anywhere. And he stood there complaining that we didn't have to zip tie his hand. He said this isn't necessary." Rosa said.
And once police arrived?
"They got a giggle out of it a couple of years ago when we did it, and they got a giggle out of it today. That we used a zip tie to keep him restrained," Spelich said.
Centafanti is facing three counts of burglary and is being held at the Mahoning County Jail. As he was arrested he admitted to Austintown police that he took $25 from the Klacik home on September 23rd.
The family says they have him captured on video inside the home at least four times in one week.
