(La Porte County, IN) - DNA extracted from one of many bottles of beer a burglar consumed at a home has resulted in the arrest of Shawn Shirley, 46, who has been charged in La Porte Circuit Court with Level 5 felony Burglary.

 

In August, La Porte County Police were called to a residence along U.S. 30 in Wanatah after a husband and wife had returned after being gone for about a month. There, they found evidence that someone had been inside their home.

 

According to police, a bed sheet and a pillow were missing, and all of the beer inside the refrigerator had been consumed. DNA obtained from one of the empty beer bottles identified Shirley as the suspect when the test results of a DNA sample came back several months later.

 

When questioned by authorities, the Valparaiso man said he climbed through an unlocked window and began drinking all of the beer from the refrigerator. Shirley also said he fell asleep on a couch and left in the morning. 

 

Court records show he has another charge of Burglary and Robbery still undecided in the courts.