Caught on video: Suspect takes doorbell camera system

A valley man says he was robbed, but the thief only took his doorbell.

Now this wasn't any doorbell, it was also an expensive camera system -- one that caught a good image of the suspect before it was taken.

"It's not fun thinking somebody like that is that close to you."

David Ludwig first noticed his missing camera doorbell system on Monday morning. The thief was seen in a screen grab from a video during the last moments the camera was rolling on Sunday night. It showed a man in a skeleton mask grabbing for the device.

Even though he's the first to admit things could have ended much worse, it still gives him a sinking feeling.

"It's disheartening, it's frustrating, it's an empty feeling, it's a sense of violation," said Ludwig.

He says his next steps were to call the police, but after he took to social media. Mentioning an app called Next Door in his post, Ludwig warned neighbors of the incident and asked if anyone knew the masked man. The response, he says, was overwhelming.

"A couple people think they have seen him, recognize him and that mask as a matter of fact at a convenience store and he was riding a bike."

While he waits for a complementary $200 replacement system, Ludwig says he hopes at the very least, this is a reminder to stay aware, even in quaint neighborhoods.

"Just for people to know to keep their eye out, a lot of people on Next Door post things to help each other out to keep their eyes open," he said.

This incident happened in the area of Northern and 7th Avenue. If you recognize the person in the picture, you're asked to call the Phoenix Police at 602-262-6151.