GARFIELD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A New Jersey homeowner caught a man rummaging through his things and wrestled with the intruder, police say.

Willow Street in Garfield is known as a quiet, crime-free cul-de-sac, CBS2's Jessica Borg reports. But on Wednesday night, police say 60-year-old Theodore Sutton crept through an unlocked rear door and into a second-floor apartment.

The couple that lives next door recounted what happened when the homeowner confronted the alleged burglar.

"He said, 'I went very quietly, waited at the top of the stairs, and when he came around, I threw him down the steps.' And the guy said, 'Don't hurt me, don't hurt me," neighbor Lee Decker said.

The homeowner told Borg he dragged the alleged burglar from his front yard to his neighbor's so that they'd hear the commotion and call 911. That's exactly what Lee and Marion Decker did, staying inside their home.

"Whether the guy had a gun or knife, or whatever," Lee said.

Detective Dennis Serritella was nearby and got to the scene fast.

"Observed two older males kind of grappling with each other," he said.

He demonstrated how he arrested Sutton, who police say has an extensive criminal history.

"I swept him over. His hands were underneath his body," Serritella said.

He said he recognized Sutton immediately.

"I was driving earlier in the day and saw the burglar in a different town. I'm familiar with him," he said. "And as soon as I got there, I knew it was him because he was still wearing the same outfit."

Sutton was charged with two counts of burglary and one count of simple assault.