An arrest has been made in a burglary complaint in which a landlord was caught on hidden camera entering his tenant’s apartment while it was unoccupied.

On May 5, 2021, a female complainant came to police headquarters to report ongoing issues with her landlord. She stated that on several occasions her landlord, later identified as Jorge Orellana-Arias, 37, entered her unoccupied apartment without permission. She further stated that Orellana-Arias would enter her bedroom and her daughters’ bedroom and would go through their clothing, including their underwear. The complainant stated that once she suspected someone was entering her dwelling, she went to great lengths to make it difficult to get into her apartment, including barricading adjoining doors. The complainant stated that after she barricaded one of her entrances, Orellana-Arias used another door to gain access to her apartment.

The complainant advised officers that she decided to set up hidden cameras in several locations throughout the house including her bedroom and her daughter’s bedroom to prove that someone was entering her dwelling when it was unoccupied. She stated that the camera caught Orellana-Arias entering her apartment through a side door, before proceeding to both bedrooms where he would locate female underwear. The video, which was provided to officers, shows Orellana-Arias bringing female garments to his nose, apparently in an effort to sniff them. She also reported that on at least one occasion, Orellana-Arias entered her apartment while her daughter was home alone. On that occasion, Orellana-Arias appeared to be startled when he saw the daughter and exited the apartment immediately. The East Haven Police Department Investigative Services Division further investigated the case and ultimately applied for an arrest warrant.

Orellana-Arias of Jillson Drive, East Haven, was taken into custody on July 22 without incident and was charged with burglary in the third degree, in violation of Connecticut General Statute 53a-103. He was processed at the East Haven Police Department and was released on a $25,000 bond. Orellana-Arias is scheduled to face a judge on Sept. 14 at G.A. 23, 121 Elm Street, New Haven.