It took him just seven minutes to go through the house and leave with two television sets and their remotes.
The fact that other items were left - including video games, touch-screen computers and $30 in cash that was sitting on the table - suggested the televisions had been stolen to order.
Mr Cromb said although he was infuriated when he first arrived home, his anger turned to pleasure when he checked the footage.
"We were pretty pleased this guy wasn't going to get away with it."
Using the footage, police were able to track down the thief in Hamilton within a week and charge him with other burglaries in the area.
Mr Cromb urged other people who were concerned that their homes might be vulnerable to burglary to invest in security.