Convicted burglar arraigned in Ferndale break-in after fingerprints point to him

A man police say who left stolen items -- with his fingerprints on them -- at a crime scene was arraigned Friday on a felony home break-in charge.

Anthony O'Neal, a 19-year-old Detroit man, stood in front of Magistrate James Brennan as his second-degree home invasion charge was read to him. The charge carries a penalty of 15 years in prison upon conviction.

O'Neal was arrested Thursday on a charge of breaking into a home in the 200 block of Edgewood Place on Nov. 1. He broke into the home from a back window, set off the house alarm and stole several items, according to the Ferndale Police Department.

Among the items O'Neal is accused of stealing -- an X-Box, an iPad, a computer, a television and some jewelry -- the television was left in the back yard.

Officers swept the area for fingerprints after the home was broken into, and they discovered the fingerprints were O'Neal's, officials report.

The 19-year-old was on bond for a charge of home invasion in Detroit when the break-in occurred. He was sentenced for the Detroit break-in on Nov. 6.

In interviewing him, detectives learned that O'Neal had confessed to the Ferndale crime. During his 43rd District Court arraignment, O'Neal was given a bond set at $5,000, cash or surety.

Contact staff writer John Turk at 248-745-4613 or