Five people were arrested Friday night after trying to break into an uptown Charlotte townhouse twice, but the second time police were inside investigating the first break-in.

Friday evening, a man reportedly came home to find people inside his townhouse on Garden District Drive in the middle of a burglary. He was able to back out of his home, without them noticing he was there, and call 911, according to officers.

“I can just imagine him walking in there, not noticing that. It’d be a much different situation,” said Kathryn Ruland, a neighbor concerned after this break-in.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrived while the two were still in the house and arrested them. Police identified the two as 33-year-old Johnny Penny and 24-year-old Javonte Cathcart.

Without knowing that police were still inside the townhouse investigating the break-in, three more people returned to try to break into the home about two hours later. Officers said the three tried to run away, but were quickly apprehended.

Malik Long, 20, Khalil Wallace, 22, and Jamaka Culbreath, 16, face charges in the second attempted break-in.

Penny and Cathcart both face felony breaking and enter and attempted larceny charges. Long also faces felony breaking and entering charges as well as possession of stolen goods charges. Culbreath was charged with possession of stolen goods.

Wallace was charged with breaking and entering, possession of stolen goods, larceny of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of marijuana.

After hearing about this, neighbors say they’re now going to be extra alert.

“You hear stuff like this, and you have to be more cautious even in a nice neighborhood like this,” said Jhane Johnson, who also lives near the house where this break-in happened.

The homeowner was not hurt.