Daniel Bailey Burglary: Homebody Intruder Ate Cake, Watched TV, Lit Christmas Tree And Pet Family's Cat

There's a whole cottage industry devoted to hiding valuables from burglars, but little instruction on how to keep the kitchen snacks safe.

A Troy Township family in Chicago's southwest suburbs woke to such a scene, discovering burglar Daniel Bailey had snacked on a half-eaten coffee cake from the pantry, played a round of darts and even plugged in the family's Christmas tree around 4 a.m. Sunday, according to CBS Chicago.

Police say the 32-year-old Mokena man knocked on a bedroom door, waking the residents, reports the Sun-Times. The family found Bailey sitting on the stairway playing with the family cat before noticing the Christmas tree lights and TV had been turned on, and candles had been lit.

The homeowners reportedly called the police, who found Bailey in the driveway with his car full of snacks like Hot Pockets and beer allegedly pilfered from the family's freezer. The burglar told police he had run out of gas, and officials did find his tank empty--along with the family's cars and gas can missing their caps.

Bailey allegedly knocked on the home when his car ran short of fuel, and broke in when there was no answer.

According to the Will County Sheriff's Department, Bailey is charged with residential burglary, property damage, retail theft, battery and possession of drug paraphernalia, reports Mokena Patch. The battery charge apparently came when Bailey “became irate and combative” while in police custody, reports the Sun-Times. Bond is set at $75,000.