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Andrew Joseph Harbison, 28, is charged with the Jan. 28, 2017 burglary at an east Birmingham home. Two girls, 8 and 14, were home alone and hid in closet until police arrived.

(Jefferson County Jail)

Police today announced formal charges against an accused burglar who broke into a Birmingham home where two young girls were home alone over the weekend.

Andrew Joseph Harbison, a 28-year-old Bessemer man, is charged with second-degree burglary and possession of burglar tools, said police spokesman Sgt. Bryan Shelton.

The break-in happened early Saturday morning in the 9700 block of Redlane Road in the Roebuck area of east Birmingham. Shelton said the girls - ages 8 and 14 - called 911 at around 9:45 a.m. and told a dispatcher that they could hear someone in their kitchen. They hid from the intruder and weren't harmed.

At the scene, one officer went to the rear of the house and saw someone walking through the residence. Another officer was at the front door when the suspect walked out of the house carrying stolen items, according to police.

"The girls did an excellent job staying calm and helping officers catch the suspects," Shelton said Saturday. "This is a situation an adult could find scary and be frozen with fear, unable to act. For an 8-and-14-year-old to think and respond was an example of bravery and cunningness. They outsmarted a criminal, and won a victory for crime fighting. Too bad we can't hire them yet."

The girls were honored by the responding officers.

Court records show Harbison was arrested on burglary and theft charges in 2012, but those charges were dismissed. He remained in the Jefferson County Jail Monday with bonds totaling $55,000.