Austin trail break-ins: Man uses hidden cameras to catch thieves in act

AUSTIN, Texas - Break-ins along Austin trails have become an all-too-familiar sight for one man so he decided he was going to something about it.

What they're saying:

For James Baumgardner, break-ins along Austin trails have become an all-too-familiar sight. 

At spots like Mt. Bonnell, Bull Creek, and the St. Edward’s Greenbelt, it can be common to see missing windows, broken glass, and owners looking for answers in who’s responsible.

Over last the four years, James has had his car broken into several times, and seen it happen to dozens of others.

"It's exhausting seeing that happen, you know, every weekend of the summer," says James. "The people of Austin are kind of tired of seeing this be the summer news story every year."

That frustration eventually turned into action. James decided to set up a hidden camera at the Bull Creek Greenbelt, hoping to catch thieves in the act. 

It wouldn’t take him long to get a hit. On July 12th, the first weekend he had posted the camera, he would capture two men breaking into a truck. One could be seen removing the vehicle’s window before jumping inside. In around a minute, he would hop out of the truck and get into the passenger side of a getaway vehicle which then took off.

"You know who to call. You call 3-1-1 is kind of the first place most people call," says James, and that’s exactly what he did. 

3-1-1 referred him to officers within the Austin Police Department he should contact about the video. 

James showed FOX 7 multiple emails he sent to those officers, asking them what should be done to submit the video as evidence. He says for weeks he heard nothing back. 

James also attempted to submit a report online, but it was rejected because he was not the victim of the crime.

"There were periods where I felt like giving up. You kind of get exhausted mentally trying to figure out who else you can reach out to. Like ‘who hasn’t been called or emailed?’ And so it does take a toll," says James.

The other side:

On August 3, FOX 7 did a story on the break-in that James captured. 

As part of FOX 7's coverage, FOX 7 reached out to APD to ask why James had yet to receive a response to the video. After the story aired, James said he was contacted by the department the next day.

 "The emails I got after the story went out, it was like bang, bang, bang," says James.

In a statement to FOX 7, APD said in part, "Detectives were made aware of the information and immediately contacted the individual after learning of the footage. The video directly contributed to identifying the suspects in this case."

Within hours of receiving the footage, they were able to identify the suspects as Michael Grant (65) and Fabian Ellison (40). The two had been arrested on July 30th for a separate car break-in at Mount Bonnell. 

APD says the video has been used to connect the suspects to multiple burglaries, and without the evidence, many of the cases would likely have remained unsolved due to a lack of investigative leads.

Dig deeper:

"Once the evidence got to the right people, everything fell into place," says James. "It’s just that middle part that seemed to be missing, getting the information where it needed to go," says James. "Who does it go to? And how does it get routed that way is kind of the gray area."

He believes that a system should be implemented which allows for a streamlined process to submit evidence if you aren’t the victim of a crime.

"What I'd think would be most effective is having a dedicated place where if you’re not a victim, but you see something, where you can go and report and give that evidence, and it can be kind of tracked, that's separate from a standard police report."

As part of their statement, APD said, "The online reporting system did not accept the information due to the fact that the reporting person was not a victim of a crime, only a witness.  APD will continue to evaluate technology improvements to enhance the customer experience."

APD has also implemented directed patrols in affected areas for car break-ins in hopes of deterring crime.

When it comes to those committing the crime, James hopes his story leaves a clear message.

"For the people who want to, you know, break into people's cars, you never know when someone may be watching. People get tired of things and they come up with solutions. That's just what people do."

What's next:

Michael Grant and Fabian Ellison were both charged with burglary of vehicles. 

Ellison has been released on a $5,000 bond and is ordered to stay 200 yards away from 3600 Mount Bonnell. He has also been placed on house arrest. 

Grant is still in custody on separate charges. 

APD says they anticipate filing additional charges as the investigation continues.