Intruder spooked in Palatine, police say

A Palatine man who climbed through an unlocked window at a Palatine home he thought to be empty got a shock Wednesday morning when he came across someone in the house, authorities said.

Jerry Dickens, 46, of the 1100 block of East Barberry Lane in Palatine, was captured by police as he tried to flee, according to a news release. He was charged with one count of residential burglary.

Minutes earlier, Dickens had rung the doorbell of the house on the 800 block of East Aster Avenue to see if anyone was home, authorities said, and when no one answered the door, he climbed in the unlocked window. The presence of another person frightened Dickens, police said, and he ran from the house.