ATWATER — An Atwater couple came home Sunday afternoon to find a burglary unfolding in their home in the 2700 block of Atwater Boulevard, police reported.

Officers said the husband and wife found an unidentified white male standing on their porch when they arrived. The burglar immediately began knocking on the front door to alert a second burglar inside.

The couple walked inside to find the second burglar, also a white male, in their bedroom, stuffing items into a bag. Police said the man pointed to his waistband when the victims tried to confront him.

The couple backed off, and the man jumped out the window with the bags and fled toward the railroad tracks. Police said that the couple ran after the burglars, and the husband tackled one of them, holding him down on the ground.

But the other burglar kicked the man in the head, police reported, and his partner was able to get away. Both burglars took off running across Atwater Boulevard into some apartment buildings.

The stolen bags were dropped during the chase and later recovered by police. Based on the descriptions given by the victims, police will ask them to identify suspects using a photo lineup.

Reporter Ramona Giwargis can be reached at (209) 385-2477 or rgiwargis@mercedsunstar.com.