NC burglar breaks into home, then cooks himself a meal

A man was arrested in Union County earlier this week after officials said he broke into a home and stayed there to cook a meal.

Two women had just returned to the house in Monroe on Tuesday afternoon, when they found the front door was opened after someone had broken a window on the door.

When they went inside, they found a man in the home cooking food, officials said.

Sheriff’s deputies were called to the home shortly after 1 p.m. and arrested the man, 46-year-old Rusty Lee Pope. He was still inside the house.

Pope appeared to have dried blood on his hand and smelled like alcohol, according to the sheriff’s office.

Pope faces charges of breaking and entering and injury to personal property. His next court appearance is in January.

This story was originally published November 19, 2017 at 6:53 PM with the headline "NC burglar breaks into home, then cooks himself a meal."