Shrewsbury man chases would-be thief from home

SHREWSBURY, Mass. (WHDH) -- A man chased down a suspected burglar after he found the man trying to break into his Shrewsbury home Monday morning.

Quang Pham said he got home from having coffee with a friend around 9:30 a.m. and saw 22-year-old Michael Yazhari trying to break in through the door on his deck.

“I said, ‘Hey man, stop it, stop it,’” Pham said. “And he keep running and he jumped over my fence and then he run to the pond.”

The suspect, Pham says, tried breaking in through the basement window, but couldn’t, and tried his luck upstairs.

The suspect jumped 10 feet off the deck and Pham chased him.

“He dropped something. He stop, he pick it up. I think gee, that might be he [picked up] a knife. So I stop, I don’t want to chase him anymore,” said Pham.

Pham then called 911 and two hours later police had the suspect in custody.

“Initially there was a search through the neighborhood area. At that time, state police assisted us with their canine and also their helicopter,” said Sgt. Alfred Pratt of the Shrewsbury police department.

Pham said he identified the man and he is glad to know the suspect was caught.

“I didn’t see him before, but I looked very, very good -- I say, ‘Who’s this guy. I never seen him before. He come to my house for what?’” asked Pham.

Police said because Pham got a good look at Yazhari he was able to give them a detailed description of the suspect.

Yazhari is being held on $450 cash bail. He will be arraigned Tuesday morning.