OXFORD — A 17-year-old girl who locked herself in a bathroom and called the police when a man broke into her house did everything right, according to the Oxford police officer who arrested the man Monday.

Harry H. Lamb, 47, of Canastota, N.Y., was charged with burglary, criminal mischief and operating under the influence. He was held on a warrant from New York after police say he broke into a home on Gore Road while a teenage girl was home.

Officer James Richardson said Lamb gave himself up as soon as police arrived and told police he didn’t know the girl was home.

“The suspect came out of the house and said ‘You got me,’” Richardson said. He said Lamb broke down a door to get into the home. The girl locked herself in a bathroom and dialed 911. When another Oxford officer took Lamb into custody, Richardson searched the house and found the hiding teen.

“She did an excellent job,” Richardson said. He said she found a good hiding location. The girl said Lamb saw her through the window and made eye contact before he broke down the door, but Lamb denied it.

Richardson said Lamb “ransacked the house” looking for money and jewelry. He was charged with criminal mischief for breaking down the door and with operating under the influence because Richardson said he was “highly intoxicated” when he drove to the home.

According to Richardson, Lamb borrowed a car without permission from a Poland home where he had been renting a room. The officer said the owners didn’t know about Richardson’s criminal record and decided not to file charges over the car.

Lamb is set to serve “substantial” time in jail on the New York warrant, Richardson said. “He has an extensive criminal history all over the United States.”

On Tuesday evening, Lamb was in custody at the Oxford County Jail. He may be transported to New York for his warrants there. Richardson said the District Attorney’s Office could file additional charges against Lamb for the break-in.

treaves@sunjournal.com

Note: In a previous version of this story, Officer James Richardson’s last name was wrong. It was a reporting error and has been corrected.