This Intruder Picked the Wrong Garage to Steal From

Tim Guikema is a former police officer, so naturally his intuition was perked when he heard his car alarm beep at 3:30 a.m. earlier this week. While his instincts were justified, the person who invaded his garage was probably caught by surprise with what happened next.

On his way through the house, Guikema said he spotted figures running between neighboring houses and assumed that they had all fled.

Guikema scuffled with Veltman, whom the former police officer found going through his car, and held the teen until police arrived. (Image source: WXMI-TV)

"I bypassed my gun safe and went for my phone instead," he told WZZM-TV.

When he reached the garage though, baseball bat and flashlight in hand, the Grand Rapids Press reported that Guikema saw someone left behind, rooting through one of his cars.

When Guikema turned on the light, he saw the suspect taking change from the car's storage compartments.

"So I ran up to him and grabbed him from behind and I wasn’t going to let him go," Guikema told the newspaper.

"My biggest concern was not letting him go. I didn't want him to get away with what he was doing," Guikema, who worked for two different police departments in Michigan in the past, continued.

He yelled for his wife to call police while he pinned the suspect, later identified as 19-year-old Brady Veltman, on his driveway.

Guikema held the suspect until police arrived. Officers believe other suspects fled on bicycles, but Veltman dished up their names and said the Guikema's house was the only one they went to.

The Grand Rapids Press added that Veltman's blood-alcohol content registered 0.13, which is above the legal limit of .08.

Veltman was charged with home invasion, larceny of a vehicle, assault and possession of alcohol as a minor. He was also allegedly found in possession of drug paraphernalia.

If Veltman hasn't learned his lesson, Guikema told the newspaper "karma will catch up one way or another."

Guikema told WZZM he would jump into action like this again "instantly," except next time he "would probably bring my gun."

Veltman faces several charges for the incident, which occurred Monday. (Image source: WXMI-TV)

After nine years living in the house, the family is now installing a security system.

“I’ve got three kids downstairs sleeping in the basement,” Guikema told WXMI-TV. “I don’t need anything like this again.”

Here's the news station's report about the incident: