MANDEVEILLE, La. (WGNO) -- On Oct. 1 around 4:30 a.m., the sound of shattering glass disrupted a quiet Mandeville neighborhood.

Deputies with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office say a man broke into the front door of a home in the 2000 block of Labarre Street, and that the resident found the intruder wielding a knife.

"Oh, it's terrifying. That guy was, from what I understand, on no telling what, and they're walking around like zombies, and they don't even know what they're doing until the next morning until they get it out of their system," father of nearby resident Tom Schedler said.

Some residents who live near the house say that they heard knocking on their doors early that morning as well. This included Shedler's daughter.

"What occurred is that the initial guy knocked on the door, and he went to go behind the automobile, out of sight in hopes that she would open the door, which thank God she didn't," Schedler said.

The suspect, 31-year-old Jacques Dutel, was arrested shortly after the break in, about a block away. St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith says his new facilities, such as the upgraded district one headquarters, are going to be key in continuing his fight against crime.

"This is going to help not only help produce more manpower and visibility, but when you need us, response time is going to be a lot quicker," Smith said.

On top of continuing to build his office, Smith says he also wants to continue building his relationships with the residents, utilizing events like Night Out Against Crime and making sure that they are involved in serving the community as well.

"To be successful, you have to have trust of the community that you serve, and that's what we build on each day, community outreach," Smith said.