WATCH: Doorbell licker rings a bell with cops

A man who spent three hours licking a doorbell in California while children slept inside has been charged with prowling and theft.

Roberto Daniel Arroyo who is 33, was caught on CCTV in Salinas.

The footage shows the man spending three hours licking the doorbell from different angles.

The parents were not at home at the time – however their children were sleeping inside. They did not wake up.

The man is believed to have ‘relieved himself’ in the garden and allegedly trespassed in other yards.

Police said the family’s surveillance system assisted them with their investigation into the case.

“We were pleasantly surprised the image was so clear it didn’t take us long to identify the individual,” Salina Police Department spokesperson Miguel Cabrera said.