Beaufort man charged with burglary after breaking into neighbors’ home, deputies say
A Beaufort man faces felony burglary charges after two people reported they woke up to find him navigating his way through their home with a cigarette lighter, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Earl Morrall, 32, was charged with first-degree burglary and giving false information to law enforcement, jail records show. Morrall also had a warrant out for his arrest stemming from a 2021 incident in which he allegedly tried breaking into a car in Burton, said Maj. Angela Viens, a spokesperson for the agency.
Morrall faces charges for possession of a controlled substance and breaking and entering into a vehicle in relation to that incident.
Officers were called out to a home in the Bay Mobile Home Park Sunday morning after two residents, an adult and a minor, reported that a man broke into their house the night before. The two, Viens said, woke up in the middle of the night to find a man. The two were afraid and pretended to be asleep as the man went through the house, Viens said. There were no signs of forced entry in the home and police believe Morrall got in through the front door, which was left unlocked.
No injuries were reported in this incident.
The residents recognized Morrall from around the neighborhood and, when police approached him regarding the burglary, he allegedly gave them false information about his identity, Viens said. He was taken into custody Sunday.
Morrall is in the county detention center in Beaufort.
