Evicted tenant arrested after returning to rental property with his dog

A homeless man was arrested for burglary when a neighbor spotted him with a dog inside a home from which he had been evicted.

Deputies responded to a burglary in progress at an undisclosed Astor residence around 7:41 p.m. Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. 

Prior to the deputies’ arrival, they were informed by the victim that his grandfather’s home was being burglarized by 52-year-old Joseph Delaney Pierce. He explained that Pierce had been evicted from the property and was possibly involved with drugs. Furthermore, the deputies learned that another deputy enforced a writ of possession on Feb. 7, the report said. 

Once at the residence, law enforcement did not see any lights on in the house. They made their way to the back of the home and observed a damaged screened-in porch door with a light on in the living room. A K9 unit alongside other deputies called Pierce out of the residence, the report said. 

Pierce then came out through the back entrance of the residence with his dog and was given multiple commands, at which time deputies put Pierce in custody and took control of his dog. He did not wish to speak with deputies after his rights were read, the report said. 

Deputies proceeded to search Pierce, during which a small plastic bag containing a brown granular substance was found in his wallet. This tested presumptive positive for amphetamines. There was also a potential match for fentanyl, the report said. 

Contact was again made with the victim over the phone. He advised that his grandfather was out of town and unable to state what was inside at the time. He had gotten a call from his grandfather’s neighbor that Pierce was back inside the property, the report said. 

The neighbor was interviewed next, and he told deputies that the victim’s grandfather asked him to keep an eye on the residence. That was why he witnessed Pierce in there with his dog, the report said. 

Pierce was subsequently charged with burglary to an unoccupied dwelling and possession of amphetamines. He was transported to the Lake County Jail, and bond was set at $12,500.