An intruder who was detained after he walked through the unlocked back door of a Reading apartment in the middle of the day while it was occupied by two female tenants faces attempted burglary charges.
Frederick J. Solis, 31, whose address is listed as a motel in Temple, was taken into custody Wednesday after police responded to a 911 call reporting a burglary in progress in a first‑floor apartment in the 900 block of North 10th Street, officials said.
He was charged with attempted burglary, criminal trespassing and related counts. Solis was committed to Berks County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail following arraignment before District Judge Sandra L. Fegley in Reading Central Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit:
An arriving officer met outside with the two female victims. As he entered the apartment, he noticed two people in the rear vestibule. He learned that one of the men was a resident of the apartment and was standing next to Solis, who was emptying his pockets.
The officer grabbed Solis’ arm and handcuffed him so he was properly detained, then handed him off to another officer at the back door.
The male victim told police that he had been sitting on the porch after getting home from work. When he walked inside, he saw someone standing in the doorway leading to his bedroom. He called out to the female tenants in the front room, asking, “Who is that guy?”
They initially thought the victim was joking until he ran toward the rear of the home. The victim pressed the intruder against a wall and restrained him until police arrived.
None of the residents had previously seen Solis.