Stool Pigeon? SoCal Burglar Nabbed Because He Forgot to Flush

A suspect accused of burglarizing a Southern California home in October decided to stop for a quick bathroom break – one that would ultimately be his downfall, as he left a pile of DNA evidence in the toilet that eventually led to his successful arrest.

According to Detective Tim Lohman of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, suspect Andrew David Jensen "did his business and didn't flush it" in a house he broke into in the city of Thousand Oaks, according to the Washington Post. 

What would ordinarily have been a gaffe turned out to be a godsend, as investigators were able to collect the evidence and conducted a DNA profile.

The 42-year-old suspect's DNA matched another profile in the police department's national database, which then allowed detectives to hone in on him in his home in nearby Ventura.

Jensen was finally arrested July 28 for first-degree residential felony. The penalty for first degree residential burglary in California is a state prison sentence of either two, four or six years. It is unclear whether Jensen has an attorney representing him, but his bail was settled at $180,000.This is the first time Detective Lohman has heard of a burglary case successfully being solved using DNA from fecal matter obtained from a toilet.

Andrew David Jensen

© AP Photo / Ventura County Sheriff

However, this is not the first time that poop has come in handy in solving a crime. In 2008, Rufus Sito Nanez III was convicted of rape and sentenced to three years in prison after lab tests of dog feces found on his shirt were found to match DNA from the rape survivor's pet.