HOUSTON – A man who deputies said broke into a north Harris County home while a woman hid in the bathroom has been arrested, according to deputies from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Akeem Simeon has since been charged with burglary habitation and interference with a police service animal.
The incident happened on Monday in the 1000 block of Timor Lane.
Authorities said a neighbor spotted a suspicious person on his neighbor’s property and called 911.
When deputies arrived, they said they tried to detain Simeon but he fled from the scene.
“I saw a lot of police outside, they had the whole street blocked off and they had the cul-de-sac blocked off as well,” said neighbor Joann Guerrero.
During that time, another neighbor who lives a block away dialed 911 and said she was hiding in her bathroom, armed with a gun because someone had just broken into her home.
Deputies responded and tried to get Simeon to come out, but when he refused, they sent in a K-9 unit to take him down.
Deputies said Simeon did not go down without a fight and punched Zico the K-9 several times before deputies were able to take him into custody.
Zico was taken out of service for the day, but is now back on the job.
“I think this could have been a lot worse for the police dog. Just like these officers, these K-9′s put their life on the line, and often times they encounter the most danger because they are the first unit to actually make contact with the suspect,” said Harris County Assistant District Attorney Jason Sanchez.
Prosecutors said Simeon has a history of trespassing and a violent criminal history. He is currently out on bond for assaulting a peace officer, according to court documents.