By Jim Clark

Somerville Police and Somerville Housing Authority officers were dispatched to a Highland Ave. residence on reports of a man who was committing a breaking and entering.

Upon their arrival, the officers located a man fitting the description of Joanir Deoliveira, whose mother reportedly lived in the building.

According to police, Deoliveira used a piece of paper to defeat the motion detector on the courtyard door by feeding it between the doors, triggering one of the doors to unlock.

The officers found Deoliveira outside of the building on the sidewalk and advised him that he was not to enter the building or he would be arrested.

Police later checked the surveillance camera video to determine whether Deoliveira did enter the rear door, possibly incurring charges of breaking and entering.

According to reports, Deoliveira told police that his mother had passed away in Brazil. In addition to viewing the surveillance video, police conducted a check condition on the apartment, since it should have been vacant and no one has permission to be there.

In checking the video, police said that they spotted Deoliveira entering the rear courtyard. He reportedly slid a piece of paper between the doors and then pulled the handle to enter the building.

Police went to Deoliveira’s mother’s apartment and knocked on the door, announcing their presence. They heard no sound inside, so they made entry into the apartment. They reportedly found Deoliveira sleeping in his mother’s bed. No one else was inside the apartment, according to police.

Deoliveira was cooperative and reportedly admitted that he was not supposed to be here. The apartment appeared to be unkempt and his clothes and computer equipment was spread throughout the apartment.

It appeared to police that Deoliveira had been in the apartment for a few months. Police asked him how he entered the apartment and he stated that he had a key made up. Deoliveira showed the officers the key and they confiscated it for evidentiary purposes.

Deoliveira reportedly told police that he is homeless, but used this apartment’s address for mail purposes.

Deoliveira said that his mother had passed away and never gave him permission to be in the apartment. He did not provide a length of time that she had been gone. And he did not have any death certificate information.

Deoliveira was placed under arrest and charged with trespassing and felony daytime breaking and entering.