Teen returns home to find unknown man in his house

By ROB POLANSKY

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    OLD LYME, CT (WFSB) — A teen came home to find an unknown Jeep in his garage and a stranger in his house.

State police said they arrested Benjamin Dahm, 31, of Gales Ferry, as a result.

According to troopers, they received a call from a juvenile who reported returning home to find an unknown male in his home on Meetinghouse Lane in Old Lyme.

The call came in just before 6 p.m. on Monday.

According to court documents, the teen tried to get in through the front door but found it locked.

The teen told police that he saw a man wearing dark-colored shorts with no shirt inside. He had long hair and facial hair.

The man, later identified as Dahm, went over to a window, opened it, and told the teen “this isn’t your house anymore.” He then shut the window.

The teen said a landscaper eventually arrived. He instructed the landscaper to call the police. The teen called his mother.

When troopers arrived, they said they saw the shirtless man inside. They tried to contact him, but he didn’t respond because he was playing loud music.

They ended up getting in through an unlocked basement door.

With the help of a K9 unit, Dahm was found hiding in an upstairs bathroom.

Dahm told them that he lived there with his girlfriend, who would be home “any minute.”

Dahm was taken into custody and charged with third-degree burglary, second-degree criminal trespass, interfering with an officer, and disorderly conduct.

He was held on a $50,000 bond and given a court date of Tuesday.

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