Man caught licking doorbell for three hours

'This just kind of reinforces how important it is to have security within your home,' says homeowner Sylvia Dungan

A California man was caught on surveillance camera licking a homeowner's intercom system for hours.

Roberto Arroyo was shown getting overly intimate with the doorbell system at the home in Salinas while maintaining eye contact with the camera.

The video shows the 33-year-old approaching the home’s porch in the early hours of Saturday, before embarking on the marathon intercom-licking session.

According to the Salinas Police Department, he entered the frame several times between 2am and 5am.

The homeowner, Sylvia Dungan, told KION546.com that she was not at home at the time of the incident, but her children were. They were notified by the surveillance system when it detected movement near the front door.

“I thought, boy there’s a lot of traffic. I go, 5:00 in the morning? My son doesn’t get home till 6:00 a.m. well then who the heck is that?” Ms Dungan said.

She said she published the video on social media in a bid to alert the community, especially neighbours who have young children.

"This just kind of reinforces how important it is to have security within your home,” she added.

Police managed to track down Mr Arroyo, who is also accused of stealing extension cords powering Christmas decorations, after authorities recognised him. The case has now been referred to the Monterey County District Attorney's Office.

He faces charges of prowling, theft and violation of probation charges.

Salinas Police public information officer Miguel Cabrera described Mr Arroyo's behaviour as "rather odd".