here's the story told by perdicone and his friend. the house looked like it was abandoned. she hadn't been here for five months. >> reporter: did you think her property was -- >> i thought they were going to foreclosure and i was going to go to the dump or whatever. i'm thinking -- i wasn't thinking right, but i'm thinking, you know, i'm going to get these things before they go to a tsh heap or whatever, you know what i mean? i know it don't make sense, but i wasn't thinking right. >> reporter: david perdicone says his 30-year-old girlfriend got him hooked on drugs. >> i was using cocaine and heroin with her. >> reporter: he's now lost his federal job as a heating plant operator and is likely facing jail time for burglary. he warns young people to make better choices. >> next thing you know i'm doing drugs everyday with her and my money is going out. i lost all my money. now i'm going to lose my house probably. i'm on the edge of losing my house. >> reporter: perdicone says he and his girlfriend are now drug free, very much in love and hope to marry once they get all this t

. >> reporter: there are a few items still in a cart in front of david perdicone's office. the 46-year-old is out on bail. charged with breaking and entering her home charged with stealing stuff and selling it. >> i thought it was going to go to waste. i wasn't thinking right. but i'm thinking, i'm going to get these things before they go, you know, to the trash people, you know what i mean? i know it don't make sense. but i wasn't thinking right. >> the neighbor called police when she came home after a long time away, then noticed all of the stolen belongings. then she glanced down the street and told police she saw her things being sold by perdicone. >> even the man selling at the yard sale had on one of her t- shirts. >> it was estimated that the property stolen was around $25,000. items as large as kitchen appliances and numerous items in the home. >> reporter: in an interview, perdicone said he wasn't thinking clearly, because he had been taking drugs daily with a friend. until recently when he quit. >> next thing you know, i'm doing drugs every day with her. and my mo