Accused burglars stole a deer camera that captured their crimes. But they missed another

Two men are facing burglary charges after a deer camera captured them breaking into a home and walking away with electronics from inside, the county sheriff said.

Shondale Ingham, 34, and Sandy Joseph Tarte, 48, have been charged each with criminal conspiracy and five counts of burglary, according to a news release by Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews. Both are being held at the Kershaw County Detention Center.

Matthews said a homeowner who was among eight who were broken into in September placed deer cameras around their home. Though Tarte and Ingham grabbed one of the cameras, they missed one that captured them breaking into the home and carting off electronics, Matthews said.

“More and more people, including me, are placing deer cameras around their property to record criminal activity that might occur and in this case the cameras paid off,” Matthews said. “They won’t prevent a burglary, but they may catch a burglar on film and give us the lead we need to make an arrest.”

Both men were out on bond for burglaries out of Lee and Darlington counties, Matthews said. When a warrant was served on their homes, agents found property stolen from different burglaries.

Tarte had been previously arrested on charges ranging from criminal domestic violence to criminal sexual conduct with a minor, while Ingham had been previously arrested on charges ranging from possession of marijuana to burglary.

This story was originally published September 29, 2017 at 11:17 AM with the headline "Accused burglars stole a deer camera that captured their crimes. But they missed another."