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This burglar removed the security cameras. Police can still see his face thanks to the cloud.

Police say some burglars seem to have the wrong idea about how security cameras work.

SHORELINE, Wash. — Anna Hazen came running to her parents' Shoreline house when she got the alert that someone was trying to break in last week.

She was comforted by the fact the couple's security system had cameras rolling.

"He walked straight up to the camera," she said. "You could see straight into his face. He should've realized it and run away then."

The surveillance video shows the suspect preparing to put on black gloves before pulling the camera off the wall, after which it goes black.

He apparently believed there would be no evidence of him being at the crime scene.

"Taking down the camera – I don't know what he was thinking," said Hazen.

RELATED: We asked 86 burglars how they broke into homes

What the suspect clearly didn't realize was all that video was being stored in the cloud from multiple cameras.

"I have it on my phone. My dad has it on his phone. We have it saved and can watch it over and over. We can zoom in. That's handy," said Hazen.

Even with his face covered, the suspect left clues to his identity. He's wearing a distinctive gray Avon Braves hoodie and appears to have a shaved head and light-colored eyes.

Credit: Courtesy photo
A suspect who broke into a Shoreline home removed a security camera, but the footage was stored on the cloud providing a clear image of his face.

He ended up stealing some jewelry from the home and probably thought he got away with it.

"Just because the camera is off doesn't mean you can escape the cloud," King County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Tim Meyer said. "We can find him."

The city of Shoreline contracts its police duties through King County.

Investigators believe this is likely not the first time the suspect has broken into someone's home.

If you have information about the crime, contact the King County Sheriff's Office at 206-296-3311 and ask for a Shoreline detective.

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