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An armed burglar was caught in the act of his crime this morning through a partnership between a vigilant citizen and Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies. Just before 2 AM, a resident on Keyser Mill Road alerted deputies to a burglar in his home. The resident was able to view the suspect remotely from another location. Deputies responded and observed the suspect trying to exit the residence. As they set a perimeter, the suspect saw them and fled back into the residence where he refused multiple commands to exit for several hours. Due to concerns that he may be armed, the OCSO Special Response Team was called to the scene. The suspect continued to refuse to surrender. As SRT members searched the residence, the man, later identified as 39-year old Roy Cato of Defuniak Springs, tried to escape out the eaves of the front porch where he had concealed himself in the attic. He was seen throwing a knife back into the building. Cato was taken into custody by members of the Special Response Team at that time. Inside the home, Cato had punched numerous holes in walls and cut electrical wires. He complained of an injury to his arm and was medically cleared before being transported to the Okaloosa County Jail. Cato is charged with armed burglary, felony criminal mischief, and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. At the jail, Corrections Officers found five syringes and baggies containing meth and heroin hidden in a body cavity. Charges of possession of a controlled substance, smuggling contraband into a detention facility, and possession of drug paraphernalia were added to the list.
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