Pasadena couple wakes up to intruder in bedroom

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- A California Institute of Technology professor and his wife woke up to find an intruder in their bedroom, and the suspect took off with the woman's purse.

The Pasadena couple said they were asleep at about 11:30 p.m., when an intruder apparently tried to break into their home using the front door.

The couple said he was unsuccessful and walked around to the back of the house.

Thomas Heaton, a professor at Caltech, and his wife, Norma Heaton, said they couldn't see the man's face in the pitch-black room.

"When the person got there, he seems to have discovered that we were asleep...had a flashlight, shined the flashlight at us. It woke us up," Thomas Heaton explained.

"All of a sudden, a voice came from that direction -- a deep, kind of raspy voice -- and said 'freeze,' and I thought it was Tom," shared Norma Heaton.

The couple said he was looking for a specific person.

"He told us he was looking for a James and we don't have any James living here. We told him, 'There's no James here,'" said Thomas Heaton.

The college professor asked the suspect how he got in and that's when the burglar took off with his wife's purse and ran out the front door.

The Heatons said they normally don't use their security system when they're home, afraid they might accidentally set it off, but said they will do so from now on.

Anyone with information on the suspect or the crime is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-22-TIPS.