A man was sentenced Friday after breaking into a stranger’s home, spraying him with Mace, and stealing multiple cell phones.
Derrick Baker received a 50-year jail sentence, according to the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office.
The 53-year-old was convicted of his involvement in a burglary in April 2023. According to Allen Superior Court documents, investigators from the Fort Wayne Police Department attended to a local gas station where a man sought assistance after being pepper sprayed. Baker was fleeing down the street, according to court documents, when officers caught up with him.
Meanwhile, the victim informed investigators that he was sleeping in his home when he heard a beating on the rear door. He stated that when he got to his back door, it was already open, and a stranger—later identified as Baker—was waiting in the entryway holding a shovel. According to court filings, Baker instantly sprayed the man with mace.
Baker then seized four smartphones, an Apple Watch, and $6 in cash. When police apprehended Baker while he was fleeing, they discovered all of his stuff. Police also discovered two glass cylinder pipes, a metal spoon, and a pocket knife.
Baker lied to authorities about his name, but he was eventually identified using fingerprints and the last portion of his social security number, which he did provide officers. Police determined he had two arrest warrants in Allen County and was also sought in Grant County for violence and robbery.
The Mace canister he used on the victim was discovered in the middle of the road on Wayne Trace.
Following a September trial, the jury found Baker guilty of burglary with a deadly weapon, a Level 2 felony; two Level 3 felonies; two misdemeanor charges; and an enhancement for habitual offender status.
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