A Gwinnett County man is accused of going to extremes to spy on a neighbor. He cut a hole in the crawl space of a family's home to gain a view of the bathroom, according to police.
Steven Craig Appling, 48, wasn't far from his Sugar Hill home when he was spotted at a window of the family's mobile home Sunday, according to a Gwinnett County police report obtained by the AJC.
The family called police after spotting a man attempting to look into the window, the report states. When a resident yelled at the suspect, he ran into the woods and tried to hide behind some bushes, police said.
The resident identified the suspect as Appling, who was seen sitting on a nearby street corner, the report states. Appling initially told police he was looking for his boot in the family's yard. He was arrested on a loitering and prowling charge.
During the ride to the Gwinnett County jail, Appling told officers he was just trying to look at a woman who lives in the home, the police report states. That statement resulted in an additional charge of being a peeping tom.
But the case wasn't over for the arresting officer. The family called police again after finding a man's boot and discovering part of their home had been cut away. Below, in the crawl space, was a blue mattress.
A bathroom cabinet had been altered to allow a view of the home's shower from the crawl space, according to police. "If you laid down or sat on the blue mattress, you had a very clear view of the bathroom," their report states.
The findings led to a burglary charge against Appling.
Crime scene investigators were called to the home late Sunday to take pictures, but the area was deemed unsafe due to a large number of black widow spiders, the police report states. The homeowner told police he would exterminate the area.
Appling remained jailed in Gwinnett early Tuesday. A convicted felon, Appling's criminal history includes spending just over a year in state prison after being convicted in Hall County on obstruction and DUI charges, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections. Other arrests resulted in probation, records show.
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