A Chandler man allegedly tried to reconnect with his estranged grandfather the only way he knew how — by crashing through a double-pane window like a misguided Kool-Aid Man.

According to the Maricopa Police Department probable cause statement, 36-year-old Bryan Merritt, who reportedly hadn’t spoken to his grandfather “in years,” decided June 26 was the perfect day to drop in.

Unfortunately, Grandpa Merritt thought his grandson was in Mexico.

Police say Merritt, recently separated from his girlfriend, was found in the backyard of a home on Danielle Avenue in Homestead, attempting to bust through a screen and push in a window to gain entry.

The total damage was $1,000, said police.

MPD officers arrived around 7 p.m. Thursday to find the screen on the ground and the suspect nearly falling inside. When questioned, Merritt claimed he was seeking a “safe haven,” which presumably didn’t include felony trespassing charges.

Officers noted a strong odor of liquor wafting off Merritt, who also allegedly told police he didn’t live there and “just wanted to get inside,” which is arguably the worst way to explain a break-in that doesn’t involve being chased by zombies.

In a twist, officers noted that Merritt had also trespassed inside another home in the neighborhood “a short time prior,” telling police he “accidentally entered into the wrong house” as if playing real-life Zillow roulette.

Merritt was arrested on charges of first-degree criminal trespassing and criminal damage —both designated as domestic violence due to the family connection — and was transported to Pinal County jail “without incident,” though perhaps not without regret.

In related news, on June 23, a Homestead man familiar to many InMaricopa readers was also arrested on criminal trespassing charges. Kurt Kodera, 59, allegedly entered a Maricopa woman’s backyard, set a ladder on top of a trampoline, removed screens from second-story windows and started tapping on the glass of a child’s bedroom.