It didn't take much sleuthing to nab a sex offender suspected of burglarizing a Sylmar home because his GPS ankle bracelet put him at the scene, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Wilbert Matheney, 48, was arrested Thursday for allegedly stealing a laptop from a residence in the 13400 block of Bradley Avenue, said Lt. Paul Vernon of LAPD's Mission Division.
On Aug. 30, he entered the house where he was confronted by one of the two people living there and made off with the computer, Vernon said.
One of the residents told police that Matheney helped her with an electrical problem a week earlier and that he could be spotted around her neighborhood walking a small white dog.
While canvassing the area, another neighbor referred detectives to a group home for sex offenders in the 13600 block of Norris Avenue, less than a half-mile away from site of the burglary.
Detectives learned by combing the Megan's Law database that most of the home's occupants were required to wear GPS ankle bracelets to ensure compliance with certain restrictions, Vernon said.
Matheney's appearance matched the suspect description, so authorities paid him a visit last week, where they were greeted by a small white dog at the door.
"Lo and behold, the GPS tracker put Matheney in the victim’s home on the date and at the time of the burglary,” Vernon said.
Matheney was arrested for alleged residential burglary with no bail due to his post-conviction conditions and status as a registered sex offender.
According to the Daily News, he was previously convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a minor under 14 years old.
