Camera caught man lurking outside SLO home, but he says he’s not guilty

A San Luis Obispo man caught on motion-activated camera lurking outside a home on Foothill Boulevard entered a plea of not guilty last week to a single count of attempted first-degree residential burglary.

Michael Dean Sutton, 38, was arrested Wednesday after the San Luis Obispo Police Department received several tips when the homeowner posted the surveillance footage on social media.

In the footage, taken about 2:34 a.m. on Oct. 22, a gloved man later identified as Sutton appears to check the home’s door handle and peers around the property before he notices the camera and walks away.

The San Luis Obispo District Attorney’s Office filed the single felony charge immediately following Sutton’s arrest, and he entered his plea at an arraignment the following day. According to court records, Superior Court Judge Teresa Estrada-Mullaney denied Sutton’s request to be released on his own recognizance.

According to jail logs, he remained in custody at the San Luis Obispo County Jail on Monday afternoon in lieu of $25,000 bail.

Sutton is due back in court Tuesday. His listed attorney, Jim Royer, said Monday he had just received the case and was not able to comment.

This story was originally published October 31, 2016 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Camera caught man lurking outside SLO home, but he says he’s not guilty."