A man arrested on second-degree burglary charges has confessed to being a porch pirate, police say.

Phillip Nicholas Hoover, 35, of Seminole was arrested earlier this month after officers found him armed in the upstairs apartment of a local vape shop.

According to an affidavit, Hoover admitted in an interview with police that he had been involved in several porch piracy crimes in the Seminole area, but he has not been charged in relation to those incidents.

On Feb. 10, Officer Billy Messner was requested by Interim Police Chief Jon Withers to conduct a building check at the Dark Vapor shop located on Broadway. The shop’s manager told Withers that he could hear someone walking around upstairs, and no one was supposed to be up there.

Messner, along with Lt. Michael Burnett and Officer Stefan Jasna, arrived on scene and found an open door on the southwest side of the building.

Hoover was spotted upstairs and was ordered to get down on the floor. According to the affidavit, Hoover had a .22 caliber handgun in the waistband of his pants. Police also discovered a backpack that contained bolt cutters and drug paraphernalia.

Hoover was transported to the Seminole County Jail where he was booked in on charges of second-degree burglary.

During a post-Miranda interview with Det. Chris Ayers, Hoover allegedly admitted to breaking into the upstairs apartment of the vape shop, but said the door was unlocked and he went inside because he was homeless and needed warmth and food. According to court records,

According to court records, Hoover has been charged with burglary in the second degree, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, possession of burglary tools and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. The charges were filed Feb. 19 by the Seminole County District Attorney’s Office.