Franconia Township, Pennsylvania
From the November 3, 2009 North Pennsylvania Reporter:
A Franconia Township homeowner who found a burglar in his home early Sunday morning grabbed a shotgun and fired several shots as the person fled.
According to Franconia Township Police, the resident of a home in the 300 block of Oak Driver heard a noise in his kitchen at 2:30 a.m.
The homeowner saw a man run out of the kitchen door after taking an undetermined amount of cash that was left on the kitchen table, police said.
Wielding a shotgun, the homeowner chased the burglar through his backyard, firing several rounds in the direction of the suspect, police said.
After losing the suspect, the homeowner notified police.
Labels: PA, residence burglary
Toledo, Washington
From October 29, 2009 KOMO-TV:
TOLEDO, Wash. -- A local homeowner shot and killed an intruder in what the Lewis County sheriff says was a justified shooting.
Sheriff Steve Mansfield said the 62-year-old resident was awakened around 10:40 p.m. Tuesday by the sound of someone breaking into his home.
“He (homeowner) heard some noise, got up, thought he saw some shadows,” the sheriff said. “He armed himself and started to look around. And all of a sudden there’s someone right there in his house, coming toward him up the stairway in his house.”
The homeowner twice told the intruder to "freeze," and when he didn't comply, fired one shot, Mansfield said. The intruder was pronounced dead at the scene. He was later identified as 45-year-old Mark Michels by the Lewis County Coroner's Office.
The sheriff said detectives are reviewing evidence to ensure they corroborate the homeowner's story. However, he said initial findings indicate the homeowner was acting in self defense when he shot the intruder.
...
Mark Michels had a criminal history that included robbery and grand theft. He also had a former boss who never gave up on him.
Terry Hanson said when Michels boasted he could rob a bank, he tried to right his thinking.
“I said, ‘Hey, that’s a real smart thing and you’ll be right back where you came from -- in prison.'" he said. "Apparently, that’s exactly what he did. Went out and broke into someone’s house and paid the price for it."
Labels: residence burglary, WA
Orange County, Florida
From October 14, 2009 WFTV channel 9:
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- An Orange County man caught two burglars breaking into his house, so he pulled out his gun and shot them both Tuesday night. One of the burglars was killed and the other is in critical condition.
The deceased burglar was identified as 17-year-old Brandon Martinez.Deputies say the owner of the house on Rubens Court (see map) won't be arrested. They say he did nothing wrong.
The homeowner, along with his brother and son, had just gotten home from work when he confronted the burglars Tuesday night. They had already ransacked his house and even tried to get into a safe. Anthony Julien, 50, insists he had no choice but to take action.
“The way I look at it is like they invade my privacy and I was scared when I come in, so I defended, you know, my property,” he said (watch interview).
Julien took Eyewitness News step-by-step on what happened when he confronted the two burglars in his house.“I come in. I look to my left, one this way, one here. I had my gun like this and he was there, so I come in like that. When I come in, he run this way and he point his gun at me, then I go down and I 'pow,'" Julien described. “I keep on walking to him, walking to him, walking to him, he get up and I 'pow’ and I leave him."
Julien then focused on a second man in another bedroom.
“He run up from here, coming out to me, when come out, ’Pow!’ He fell to the ground there,” Julien said.
When Julien went outside to call 911, somehow one of the suspects was able to run away, but he didn't get far. Jonathan Rodriguez, 25, collapsed in the driveway of a home one street behind Julien's house.
Rodriguez was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center and was treated for at least one gunshot wound. It doesn't appear that Martinez or Rodriguez had serious criminal records.
Anthony Julien drives an ice cream truck for a living and says he's always keeps a gun with him for protection.
Labels: FL, residence burglary
Nashua, New Hampshire
From the Nashua Telegraph of October 9, 2009
Homeowner chases away intruder with shotgun
A man shooed away a burglar with a shotgun, police said.
The homeowner, who state police did not identify, came home Thursday morning to find a young man at the side door of the residence, state police said Friday in a press release.
The man said he knew the homeowner's son and had left a belonging there a few days earlier, state police said. But the homeowner asked the man to return when his son came home and shut his door, state police said.
Moments later, the homeowner heard noises in his living room and entered to find the man shuffling through items, state police said.
The homeowner got a shotgun and chased the man out of the house, state police said.
State police are now searching for the suspected burglar. He is described as a young white male, about 16-17 years old, and wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt with a blue baseball cap.
Anyone with information is urged to call state police at 672-3333.
Labels: NH, residence burglary
Adams County, Colorado
From the First Coast News of October 7, 2009
Homeowner Opens Fire on Burglar
Police are trying to find a man that has broken in twice to the same house, where the homeowner chased and shot at him.
On Oct. 2, the man tried breaking into Guy Sitzman's home the second time and was caught him on tape.
Sitzman was watching security tapes from the previous hour in his computer room, when toward the end of the tape the system went back to "live" mode, and Sitzman noticed a man walking around the side of his house.
That's when he saw the man leaving through his back door carrying a rifle and a pistol.
Despite his initial fear, Sitzman said he grabbed another gun and ran after him. "I ran out back and fired two shots off at him."
The man dropped the items he stole from Sitzman's house and took off.
During the first break-in, Sitzman and his wife were in bed and the man tried breaking in through Sitzman's side window with a large hunting knife.
He was stole a computer, $200 and an iPod.
Detectives with the Adams County Sheriff Department are investigating the break-ins. They're asking people not to take matter into their own hands and instead to call 911
Labels: CO, residence burglary
Houston, Texas
From Click2Houston of October 5, 2009
Homeowner Shoots, Kills Burglar
A northwest Houston homeowner shot a burglar after he found him inside his home Monday morning, police told KPRC Local 2.
Investigators said the homeowner, Mark Brown, returned to his house in the 8500 block of Norton at about 9:30 a.m. when he heard someone inside.
Brown grabbed a shotgun hidden under a bed and found the burglar in a bedroom, police said.
The homeowner fired several shots after the burglar rushed at him from a closet. The burglar was hit three times, according to investigators.
The burglar, whose name was not released, died at the scene.
Milton Brandt has lived on Norton for 50 years. He called 911 after the shooting.
"I just talked to (Brown) a while ago. He's upset, sure he is," Brandt said. "He walked in the door and said all the lights are on."
Brown said he felt lucky that the burglar did not find the shotgun.
"The guy had already ransacked his bedroom and just so happened that God bless him, and he didn't find the shotgun under the bed," said David Brown, the homeowner's father.
"It's obvious it's been burglarized. There's disarray inside. It's a neat, well-kept home and you walk inside and obviously see piles of personal items set out in preparation of being taken -- drawers open, cabinets pulled out, etc.," said Detective C Elliott of the Houston Police Department.
Brown was not injured.
The case will be referred to a grand jury without charges.
Labels: residence burglary, TX
Sutter County, California
From the Appeal-Democrat of September 29, 2009
Armed homeowner thwarts burglary suspects
Three suspects arrested in Sutter County after an attempted home burglary ran into the worst of luck — a homeowner with experience fighting off intruders.
Two women and a man, all Sacramento residents, broke into an isolated house at about 2 p.m. Monday in the 3900 block of O'Banion Road west of Yuba City, according to Sheriff J. Paul Parker. The owner, David Massey, armed himself with a handgun and discovered one woman in his kitchen while the other woman and the man fled out the back door, Parker said.
The suspects got into a Ford Explorer parked on the circular driveway outside and drove it toward Massey, but he fired six shots toward the vehicle just before it rolled onto its side, the 63-year-old homeowner recalled Monday night.
"They drove right across the center of the (driveway) circle towards me, and I yelled at them to stop and fired five rounds into the radiator to make them stop," said Massey. "The car was not three feet from me when it went by; they almost took me out.
"I was in fear of my life. They wouldn't stop, so I shot."
The passengers abandoned the Ford and ran through a flooded prune orchard, but deputies arrested them within a mile of the house. Both women were treated at Rideout Memorial Hospital from injuries sustained in the acc dent, according to Parker.
The sheriff's department identified the detained women as 31-year-old Tiffany Abila and 27-year-old Angelina Walters, and the male suspect as 26-year-old Marcus Campbell. Parker said authorities likely would pursue burglary charges against the three and said others may be pending.
Detectives have recovered jewelry boxes and other items from the Explorer and are checking whether the suspects are linked to any burglaries in the area, the sheriff's department said.
Massey's last encounter with suspected burglars also ended in gunfire. On July 2, 2008, deputies arrived at his house after he reportedly fired his handgun at a suspected burglar fleeing in a pickup and held another alleged robber at gunpoint.
"I wasn't a hero; I just did what I thought I had to do. I just wish I got both of them," he said at the time.
Massey called Monday's incident the sixth theft and third break-in at the home he has owned since 1992, and admitted its remote location has made it a "sitting duck" for would-be thieves. Despite the string of thefts, he declared he would keep the home and was hopeful another house under construction nearby will dissuade at least some thieves in the future.
"Most people in the world are good people, but there's an element out there that doesn't remember 'Thou shalt not steal,'" he said Monday night. "I moved out here for the serenity; I don't know how serene it is today."
Labels: CA, home invasion, residence burglary
Hilton Head, South Carolina
From the Island Packet of September 23, 2009
Robber ends up running for his life after Hilton Head home owner shoots at him
A man stealing a coin collection in a Hilton Head Plantation home at noon Wednesday found himself running for his life after the homeowner shot at him and chased him out of the house.
The unidentified man, who was armed with a large stick or club, broke into a house on Teal Lane while the residents were inside, according to a news release from the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.
The intruder entered through the unlocked front door and walked down the hall into a bedroom, where he started stealing a coin collection, according to the release. The owner confronted the robber, who threatened the owner and kept taking the coins, according to the release.
The owner ran to another room, grabbed a handgun and chased the robber. The owner fired a shot and missed, and the robber drove off in an SUV. Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Cpl. Robin McIntosh said she did not know if the shot was fired while they were inside or outside the home.
The homeowner fell while chasing the robber and suffered minor injuries. His wife, who also was home, was not injured, according to the release.
The homeowner told Hilton Head Plantation security officers the robber fled in a 1990 or 1991 green or turquoise Ford Explorer driven by a second person.
The intruder dropped some of the stolen coins as he ran off, according to the release. The collection was estimated to be worth about $150, a Hilton Head Plantation official said.
The robber is described as white, in his mid-20s, about 6 feet tall and 180 pounds, with light brown hair, according to the release. He was last seen wearing khaki cargo shorts and a white, long-sleeved shirt with multi-colored stripes.
A car matching the description of the SUV was caught on video exiting the community's Cypress Gate around noon, according to a Hilton Head Plantation release.
Roadblocks were set up at that gate and the main gate, but security officials believe the robber had already left, the release said.
Peter Kristian, general manager of Hilton Head Plantation, said Wednesday afternoon it's not clear how the suspects got inside the gated community.
He said no guest passes had been issued Wednesday for Teal Lane, and the robber might be a contractor or plantation employee.
Plantation security officials were cross-referencing employee decals and gate passes with the getaway vehicle's description Wednesday afternoon, Kristian said. They also were searching surveillance tapes, he said.
Security officials suspect the intruder was trying to open unlocked doors in the neighborhood and thought the Teal Lane home was empty, Kristian said.
Labels: residence burglary, SC
Houston, Texas
From the September 18, 2009 Houston Chronicle:
A teenage burglary suspect remains hospitalized after he was shot Friday morning while breaking into a home in southeast Houston, authorities said.
The owner of the home in the 8100 block of Gladstone was alone about 10:15 a.m. when he heard noises coming from the side of the house.
After hearing the sound of breaking glass, the homeowner, 42, grabbed his pistol and went to investigate. He pulled back a bedroom curtain and was confronted by the suspect, who was removing shards of the broken glass from the window, police said.
The homeowner was startled and fired a single shot. The suspect was struck but fled along with two other people. All three were taken into custody a short time later, police said.
Labels: minor offender, residence burglary, TX
Birmingham, Alabama
From the Montgomery Advertiser of September 18, 2009
Wetumpka man shoots alleged burglar
A Montgomery County man is in a Birmingham hospital with life-threatening injuries after a Wetumpka homeowner shot him during an alleged burglary.
Michael Dale Roberts II, 36, of Hope Hull was in the critical care unit Thursday of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, said Jeremy Amerson, an investigator with the Elmore County Sheriff's Office. The incident occurred about 2:15 a.m. Thursday on Nancy Road in Wetumpka, police reports show.
Sheriff Bill Franklin declined to release the homeowner's name since he hasn't been charged with a crime in connection with the shooting.
The homeowner was awakened when he heard noises coming from his outside utility shed, Amerson said. The 64-year-old man told deputies he went to investigate and saw Roberts coming out of the shed carrying a grass trimmer and a chain saw.
"The two men got into a struggle, and then Roberts went to his car to try and get away, but the car wouldn't start," Amerson said. "He then got out of the car and told the homeowner he was going to shoot him."
Amerson said the homeowner went inside the house, and Roberts yelled from the yard that he was going to shoot him.
The homeowner then got a 20-gauge shotgun and shot Roberts in the chest, Amerson said.
Roberts faces three counts of theft, two counts of breaking and entering, and one count of burglary, court records show. Bond hasn't been set since he is in the hospital.
The homeowner acted within his rights, said District Attorney Randall Houston.
"The bad people need to realize that folks in Elmore County have guns and aren't afraid to use them," Houston said. "A man has the right to protect his life and his property, and all the evidence gathered in this case shows that's just what happened."
Houston said his office will present the case to a future session of the Elmore County grand jury, but he didn't expect any charges would be filed against the homeowner.
Labels: AL, residence burglary
Mobile, Alabama
From Local 15 of September 10, 2009
Pregnant woman holds intruder at gun point
The lesson here is never threaten an expecting mother, especially if she's armed with a shotgun.
"I was angry," Randi Fairley says. "I was really mad that he was in my house."
At around 4 A.M. Sunday, Fairley was wide awake, because her unborn daughter was kicking. That is when she heard a noise; it sounded like someone touching a potato-chip bag downstairs.
"I came and looked over the stairs," Fairley says. "I saw this kid, down at the bottom of the stairs. He was about to grab my computer."
Fairley is six and a half months pregnant. So, she says she yelled down at Justin Delhomme, he walked out of the house and she grabbed a shotgun. In the street, Fairley confronted the 18 year old. "He pulled a gun on me, and I told him, 'You know, you need to put that away before I shoot you because mine's bigger,' and he put it back in his pocket."
Fairley saysshe held Delhomme until the cops came with a little help from her husband and mother. "He seemed really sorry and scared, you know, he started saying he was sorry and had a baby he had to take care of."
As for her own baby, Fairley says crime fighting seemed to stir something in her. "I couldn't get her to be still. For hours after that she was just kicking away, excited. We're probably just gonna laugh about it and tell her mom caught a burglar."
Fairley also has a 4-year-old son who got a kick out of all of this. Police say they believe Delhomme is responsible for at least 13 home and vehicle break-ins over the Labor Day weekend in the Regency and Pinehurst neighborhoods of Mobile. Investigators say in all but about one case, Delhomme got in through unlocked doors.
Police say they recovered several stolen items from Delhomme, including $5,000 in cash, electronics and marijuana. Court records show Delhomme was arrested earlier this year on similar charges.
Labels: AL, female, residence burglary
Chandler, Arizona
From the Arizona Republic of September 2, 2009
Armed homeowner holds youth suspected of burglary try
A Chandler homeowner, armed with a gun, took one of two juveniles into custody after they broke into his home.
The homeowner's 13-year-old son was the only person at the house, in the 800 block of West Elgin Street, when two juveniles knocked on his front door on Monday.
The boy did not open the front door. The juveniles forced their way through the back door, police said. The boy ran to a neighbor's home, and his neighbors called police.
The boy's father got home before authorities arrived, grabbed his gun and took one of the juveniles into custody.
Police apprehended the second juvenile when he jumped from the second story and attempted to flee from the home.
Both juveniles, who are Chandler residents, were arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary, police said.
Their names and pictures are being withheld by police.
Labels: AZ, civilian arrest, minor offender, residence burglary
East St. Louis, Illinois
From the August 28, 2009 St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
EAST ST. LOUIS -- Authorities say a man who was rehabbing a boarded-up house in East St. Louis has shot and killed a local teenager who was reportedly trying to force his way in.
St. Clair County Chief Deputy Coroner Ace Hart says he pronounced 18-year-old Michael Holmes III dead shortly after noon Thursday. He was the third person to die of violence in East St. Louis this week and the 17th so far this year.
Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Dave Wasmuth said the homeowner was inside working on the building when Holmes and another man, whose name wasn't released, tried to break in. Wasmuth said the 22-year-old homeowner, whose name was not released, then shot and killed Holmes.
No charges had been filed in the case as of Thursday evening.
Labels: IL, residence burglary
Tuscumbia, Alabama
From the August 19, 2009 Times-Daily:
TUSCUMBIA - A man is in the Colbert County jail after he was accused of breaking into a home where the owner fired a shot at him.John Allen Elom, 34, 4125 Woodmont Drive, Tuscumbia, is charged with second-degree burglary, Sheriff Ronnie May said.
May said Elom is accused of breaking into a residence only a few doors down from his house on Woodmont Drive early Monday.
During the break-in, May said the 32-year-old homeowner tried to protect herself and shot at Elom. The incident occurred around 1:20 a.m.
"The victim said she was awakened by dogs barking," May said. "She said she got out of bed, picked up her pistol (a 9 mm) and walked down the hallway."
May said the woman told authorities that when she got near the kitchen, she saw the suspect and fired the gun.
"She only had one bullet and she missed," May said.
At that point, Elom charged her and they struggled for a few minutes, the woman said.
"He was wearing a dark-colored hoodie, and during the struggle, she was able to see his face enough to recognize him," the sheriff said.
May said the suspect broke free and called the woman a derogatory name as he ran out the door.
"The victim ran out the back door and called 911," the sheriff said.
May said the woman gave authorities a description of the suspect and a name.
"Our investigators put together a lineup and she picked him out and he was arrested (Tuesday)," May said.
He said the back door was forced open. Investigators believe that's when the woman's dogs started barking.
Labels: AL, female, residence burglary
Fort Mill, South Carolina
From August 20, 2009 WCNC:
FORT MILL, S.C. -- One minute a Fort Mill father was watching cartoons with his 2-year-old son. The next minute he was aiming a pistol at an intruder.
It happened in the Avery Lake subdivision off Steele Street in Fort Mill just after 8 p.m. Wednesday.
"Even today I feel sick to my stomach," the victim told NewsChannel 36.
It was just a regular Wednesday night, the 24-year-old said, when he suddenly found himself defending his and his son's lives.
"I heard the glass shatter," he said.
The man asked not to be identified to protect his family's safety.
"When I heard the noise, I called 911," he said.
The noise was a burglar who had bashed in the back sliding glass door with a boulder from the yard. Police believe the intruder thought no one was home.
The homeowner -- a former police officer who left law enforcement for the ministry -- hid his son in a closet and grabbed his pistol.
"I yelled a warning at him to leave. He didn't do it. He came walking toward me and I shot at him," the victim described.
Labels: residence burglary, SC
Houston, Texas
From the August 21, 2009 Houston Chronicle:
The fatal shooting of a suspected burglar by a north Houston man on Thursday will be referred to a Harris County grand jury, police said.
The deceased, unidentified man was shot about 1 p.m. at a home in the 13500 block of Forest Pines Village near Forest Fir, Houston police said. He was later pronounced dead at Ben Taub General Hospital. The homeowner, who was not injured, told HPD officers he looked outside after hearing the doorbell. Seconds later, the burglar forced his way into the house, police said.
The homeowner had a pistol and fired at least once at the suspected burglar — who fled but collapsed about a block away, police said. The homeowner told HPD officer he kept the pistol in his home because of past crimes in the area.
Labels: residence burglary, TX
Kingsport, Tennessee
From the August 4, 2009 Kingsport Times-News:
KINGSPORT — Police are investigating after a burglary suspect was shot by the alleged victim’s neighbor.
Sullivan County Sheriff Wayne Anderson said the incident occurred about 2:25 p.m. Monday.
Police said Dustin Eads, 29, was shot by Dennis McClanahan, 52, 2670 Pratt Road, Kingsport, after Eads allegedly attempted to steal something from McClanahan’s neighbor, Lisa Berry, 2644 Pratt Road, Kingsport.
McClanahan said he heard what sounded like glass breaking at his neighbor’s residence. He retrieved a .45-caliber handgun and went outside to check it out, said Anderson.
“He felt someone was trying to break in,” Anderson said.
Eads came outside carrying something in his hands, and a scuffle ensued when McClanahan confronted him, the sheriff said. Eads broke free, and McClanahan fired several shots as he jumped into a black Honda and drove away, Anderson said.
Labels: residence burglary, TN
Harris County, Texas
From the July 28, 2009 Houston Chronicle:
A homeowner shot and killed a suspected burglar who came at him with a tire iron Tuesday after breaking into a storage shed on the man’s property in east Harris County, officals said.
Although the shooting will be referred to a Harris County grand jury, investigators said it appears to be self-defense.
"He has the right to protect himself and his property," said Sgt. Felipe Rivera, with the Harris County sheriff’s homicide division.
Investigators later Tuesday had not released the names of the homeowner or of the dead man.
Investigators suspect the incident was related to a burglary reported Monday at the same address. In that incident, the homeowner reported that a pair of hunting crossbows had been stolen.
On Tuesday, the homeowner saw a car about 3:30 p.m. as it pulled into the driveway leading to the home in the 100 block of Cedar Lane in Channelview.
After checking with his father-in-law, who lives in another home on the same property, the man took his .45-caliber pistol and went outside to confront the man he had seen in the car, investigators said.
The man was carrying empty cases used to hold crossbows when the homeowner confronted him in the driveway.
"He pulled out his gun and ordered the suspect to stop," Rivera said. "The suspect threw the cases down and produced the tire iron."
The homeowner fired once with the pistol. He fired a second time when the man continued moving toward him.
The man got into his car then began grabbing for the pistol, Rivera said.
"They struggled for the gun and he (the homeowner) fires two or three more shots," Rivera said.
The man tried to drive away, but struck a support column for a large covered car port, causing it to partially collapse.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, Rivera said.
Labels: residence burglary, TX
Plainfield, Connecticut
From the July 21, 2009 Stamford (Conn.) Advocate:
PLAINFIELD, Conn.—Plainfield and state police are looking for an intruder who apparently was scared off when a homeowner fired his shotgun.Police say John Gold heard noises inside his home late Monday night and got out of bed to investigate and saw the movement of a flashlight.
Police say when Gold couldn't immediately find his cell phone to call 911, he grabbed his shotgun and began loading it when the intruder confronted him.
Gold told police he fired one shot and the intruder, who apparently was not injured, took off.
Labels: CT, residence burglary
Soldotna, Alaska
From the July 22, 2009 Anchorage Daily News:
Daniel Ames reckons he dealt one for the good guys on Saturday night near Soldotna when he came home, found two burglars in his house, wrestled with them over a pistol, then took them down, telling them he was going to blow off their knees if they didn't start following his orders.One of the two 21-year-olds charged with the burglary turned out to be Ames' next-door neighbor, according to a report from the Alaska State Troopers. The young man registered a blood alcohol content of .418, which is more than five times the legal limit to drive.
Ames called the young men bandits.
The 49-year-old construction worker was returning home from work on Saturday around 9 p.m. when a neighbor told him some kids were wandering around near his home, which was being remodeled.
He rushed home to find his neighbor, Chance Tallman, and Joshua Simons trying to walk out of his house with a $125 ceiling fan, he said.
Ames said he wasn't going to let those guys get away with burglary.
"What are you two buttheads doing in my house?" he said.
To that, apparently, one of the young men said, "Who are you calling buttheads?" and began to pull out a Glock pistol.
Ames grabbed for it and began wrestling, thrashing Tallman's hand against wall studs to loosen his grip. The gun broke loose and then, according to Ames, the men looked ready to carry on with their fists. That's when he pulled out his own concealed weapon, also a Glock. He shot into the ground to let the burglars know he was serious, he said.
He told the men to get down on their knees. If they didn't, he was going to blow off their kneecaps.
He had them. Drama over. Good guy wins. Or so he says.
Tallman told troopers a different story. He was merely trespassing, picked up the fan to admire it, thinking his mother would like it, and then Ames barged in the door, put him in a chokehold, then recklessly shot the gun into the floor.
As for the Glock, that was his mother's, Tallman told the troopers. She showed up on the scene afterward and confirmed it was hers, troopers said.
Simons admitted to troopers that he was trespassing but said he was only admiring the construction work.
Troopers charged Tallman with burglary, theft, assault and misconduct with a weapon. Simons faces burglary and theft charges.
Trooper Sgt. James Truesdell, who investigated the case, said that when he arrived Ames had both men on the ground in the front yard. A Glock 23 was on the ground with a round in the chamber. Ames told the trooper that he had taken the pistol from Tallman, Truesdell wrote in his report.
The trooper said he didn't charge Ames with any crime but the district attorney may feel differently after reading the report. When asked what he meant, he read Alaska statutes on what constitutes legal defense of life and property.
Labels: AK, residence burglary
Anderson, California
From the July 13, 2009 Redding (Cal.) Record-Searchlight:
An Anderson man shot and killed a 33-year-old Burney man early Sunday after he allegedly caught him trying to steal property from his Tranquil Lane home, investigators said.
Jerry Kirk called 911 about 3:40 a.m. saying he'd just shot a man in his front yard, Shasta County sheriff's Capt. Dave Compomizzo said.
Curtis Evin Ingalls died from his wounds on the property, Compomizzo said. The home sits behind a gate at the end of a quiet street surrounded by walnut orchards and horse pastures.
Compomizzo declined to say how many times Ingalls had been shot with Kirk's handgun or where he had been hit.
The two men knew each other, Compomizzo said.
Kirk went to confront Ingalls after he caught him trying to take tools and other equipment from the property, Compomizzo said.
"He didn't assault Kirk, but he went after him," Compomizzo said.
No arrests have been made in the case.
Crime scene investigators remained at the property throughout the morning, and investigators continued interviewing witnesses and family members throughout the day, Compomizzo said.
Ingalls has a lengthy criminal history in Shasta County. On Wednesday, he pleaded no contest to obstructing an executive officer, a felony, according to electronic Shasta County Superior Court records.
He was to be sentenced Aug. 5.
In January, Ingalls pleaded no contest to obstructing a police officer and injuring a police dog. He was sentenced to 63 days in Shasta County jail, court records show.
Labels: CA, residence burglary
Blountville, Tennessee
From the June 17, 2009 Kingsport, Tenn. Times-News:
A Blountville homeowner held an intruder at gunpoint when he spotted him going into his travel camper Tuesday morning.
The Reedy Creek Lane resident told Sullivan County Sheriff's deputies he first thought a relative had entered his camper, which was parked in his driveway.
When he discovered the man was a stranger, he went to get his gun.
He returned with his pistol to find the man inside his car, which was parked next to the camper, according to a sheriff's office spokesman.
The homeowner held the man at gunpoint until deputies arrived to arrest him.
Labels: residence burglary
Midvale, Utah
From KSL of June 17, 2009
Concealed weapons permit holder stops would-be robbers
A man with a concealed weapons permit stopped two would-be Midvale robbers from making off with his friend's stuff.
Police say the men were coming home from an errand around 7 a.m. Wednesday morning when they spotted the suspects with their things. The suspects took off on foot.
One of the men being robbed grabbed a gun from his truck and started running after them.
Midvale police Detective Sgt. John Salazar said, "Grabs a loaded .40-caliber handgun and chases with the gun, shooting rounds either into the air or into the ground as they were chasing."
The gunfire stopped the suspects dead in their tracks. The men held the robbers at gunpoint until police arrived and arrested them.
No one was hurt.
Labels: residence burglary, UT
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
From the The Oklahoman of May 27, 2009
Intruder shot dead at southside Oklahoma City house
An Oklahoma City homeowner on Tuesday shot and killed an intruder he found inside his house during his lunch break, police said.
Scott Henson saw a blue pickup in his driveway at 2200 SW 57 when he made his daily trip home for lunch, said his wife, Delores Henson.
"Apparently, there was someone inside the house,” Delores Henson said. "So he (Scott) shot and killed him. ... I don’t know if he had to defend himself or what.”
Scott Henson pulled out a handgun and shot the intruder about 11:30 a.m., police Master Sgt. Gary Knight said. Knight and Delores Henson said they didn’t know if the intruder, whose identity was not released, had a weapon.
Delores Henson said her husband has a license to carry a concealed weapon. She was at work when Scott Henson called.
"He just called and said he had shot somebody, that was it,” she said.
A neighbor, Daryl Kindrick, said he has lived in the neighborhood 20 years and there have been a number of home burglaries over the years.
"I’ve been robbed twice,” Kindrick said. "It doesn’t surprise me. It’s a shame someone got hurt.”
Labels: concealed carry permit, OK, residence burglary
Ripon, Wisconsin
From June 1, 2009 Chicago channel 7:
June 1, 2009 (RIPON, Wis.) -- This Town of Ripon homeowner was craftier than the armed burglar trying to rob his house.
Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Department officials say the homeowner held a 23-year-old man attempting to steal cash, firearms and other items by gunpoint until police arrived around 1:20 a.m. Friday.
Lt. Bill Flood says the homeowner saw lights on in his house, crept into his driveway, retrieved a handgun and waited for the burglar to come out.
Ripon police and sheriff's deputies arrested the victim's 24-year-old girlfriend in a nearby vehicle. Officials say she dropped him off.
Labels: residence burglary, WI
Lima, Ohio
From the May 8, 2009 LimaOhio.com:
LIMA - A wannabe burglar may be walking around with a lead reminder of a Friday break-in.
Lima Police believe the man who reportedly broke into a home in the 800 block of West Wayne Street early Friday morning may have been shot by the home's owner.
The incident occurred just before 4 a.m. Friday, according to Lima Police Detective Kent Miller. The home's owner was sitting in his living room, just about an hour after coming home from working third shift, when he heard a bang from the next room. He walked in and saw a man in his house by the front door. The homeowner turned around and grabbed his .22 revolver and yelled at the intruder, who then rushed at him, Miller said. He fired one shot before the would-be burglar fled.
Police believe the bullet may have struck the intruder, but found no blood or other evidence of injury at the scene.
"We think he hit him mainly because of the distance between them. He was just three or four feet away, but we didn't find any blood," Miller said.
Police have notified hospitals around the region to keep an eye out for a man seeking treatment for a gunshot wound. Miller said he believes if the man is wounded he may try to treat himself or ask friends for help.
Labels: OH, residence burglary
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
From May 19, 2009 KFOR channel 4:
OKLAHOMA CITY -- One burglar may be considering a different profession after nearly losing his life during a break-in, last Wednesday.
Heather Fitzgerald says she was checking e-mail in her garage with the garage partially open. Shortly before 3:00 a.m., however, an intruder crawled in.
Heather immediately worried for her children, who were sleeping inside the home. She grabbed her 9-milimeter pistol and fired two shots at the man.
Police do not believe he was hit because they found no blood at the scene. As he was running away, she says she lined up the gun's laser sight on his back, but did not pull the trigger again, most likely sparing his life.
"I just, I couldn't do it," Fitzgerald says. "And it took everything that I had, not to. Seems like you should be able to be in your own garage at night when it's dark and not have to worry about that kind of stuff."
Labels: female, OK, residence burglary
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
From the May 27, 2009 Oklahoma City Oklahoman:
Police identified a man fatally shot Tuesday inside an Oklahoma City man’s home as Ronald Penn, 29.
Penn and another person had broken into the house of Scott Henson, 41, in the 2200 block of SW 57 when Henson came home for his lunch break about 11:30 a.m., police said. Henson, whose wife said has a concealed weapons permit, pulled out a handgun and shot Penn to death.
The second person inside the home ran away, police said.
Labels: concealed carry permit, OK, residence burglary
St. Petersberg, Florida
From Tampa Bay Online of May 11, 2009
Police: St. Pete homeowner with shotgun confronts burglar
A homeowner confronted a burglar this morning, smashing the intruder across the face with the butt end of a shotgun, St. Petersburg police said.
The burglar, identified by police as Justin Masse, 22, at first fled, then turned around and started toward homeowner Michael Lowry, a U.S. Navy veteran, police said. That's when Lowry fired a shell in the ground, and Masse ran off, police said.
A newspaper delivery person spotted Masse unconscious two blocks away in a front yard, police said. Masse received stitches and was eventually transported to the Pinellas County Jail on a charge of residential burglary, police said.
The attempted break-in occurred about 4 a.m. at Lowry's home, in the 5000 block of Second Avenue South, police said. Lowry spotted Masse in his detached garage and confronted Masse with the 12-gauge shotgun.
During a fight that followed, Masse was struck in the face with the butt of the weapon, apparently considered continuing the struggle and then ran off before falling unconscious, police said.
Labels: FL, residence burglary
Ocala, Florida
From the Star-Banner of April 30, 2009
Deputies: Armed homeowner stops burglary
Sheriff’s deputies say a 25-year-old Summerfield man accused of burglarizing a home didn’t get very far, as the homeowner retrieved his .45-caliber handgun and held the man at gunpoint until they arrived.
Calvin Crews told deputies on Wednesday he was at his residence in the 10000 block of Southeast 108th Terrace Road when he heard someone calling his name. Crews said he looked outside and saw 25-year-old James Lazarus Wayne Day running toward a truck, according to a Marion County Sheriff’s Office report.
Crews said he got his gun and returned to the window. He said Day drove the truck up to the front porch, ran inside the home, went to a bedroom and removed a five-gallon jug that was filled with about $600 in change.
Crews then held the man at gunpoint and called deputies, according to the report. When they arrived, Crews came out of the home with his gun and told authorities what had happened.
Entering the home, deputies found Day kneeling on the floor next to the five-gallon jug of change. Day told them he went to Crews’ home to ask for a job. He said he had just stuck his head in the door when Crews pulled a gun on him.
Officials said Day used to work for Crews.
Day was then arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail where he was charged with residential burglary and grand theft.
Labels: FL, residence burglary
Columbia, Missouri
From the April 30, 2009 Missourian:
COLUMBIA — A woman whose house was being burglarized is believed to have shot one of the three men caught in her home early Thursday.
The woman arrived at her home in northeast Columbia and found that her back door had been kicked open, according to a release from the Columbia Police Department. Inside, she found three men robbing her house.
She left the house, and the men followed her. She told police that one of the men had a handgun and pointed it at her. She fired one round at the men, the release stated.
Investigators collected evidence that led them to believe that one suspect was shot. Though local hospitals were notified, there were no suspects at the time of the news release.
Labels: altercation, MO, residence burglary
Schriever, Louisiana
From the May 7, 2009 Houma (La.) Today:
HOUMA — An armed burglary that ended with a homeowner’s brother fatally shooting a suspect was preceded by a rash of similar crimes in the area, deputies said.
...About 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, two brothers who live in the 400 block of West Main Street discovered a pair of men — one of whom was armed with a BB gun — who had broken into one of the men’s garage.
The homeowner, Chris Derocher, and his brother, Bryan Derocher, live on the same property in separate homes.
Bryan Derocher called his sibling that evening when he saw two men walking around the property, deputies said.
When Chris Derocher, who was away from home, arrived, he noticed his garage window was damaged and a motion-sensor light inside the garage was turned on, deputies said.
Chris Derocher and his brother, who was armed with a handgun, opened the garage door and found the two men inside, deputies said.
One of the suspects, Terry Hayes, 34, brandished the BB gun at the men, and Bryan Derocher fired two shots, one of which struck Hayes in the torso.
Hayes died at the scene, deputies said.
Hidalgo said Hayes’ BB gun was indistinguishable from an actual gun.
The other burglary suspect, Charles Mouton, 42, of Thibodaux, was held at gunpoint by Bryan Derocher until deputies arrived.
Hayes had previously been arrested for armed robbery, theft, burglary, illegal possession of stolen goods and illegal carrying of a firearm, among other charges, deputies said.
Mouton had similar arrest history.
Labels: LA, residence burglary
Tulsa, Oklahoma
From Newson6 of April 15, 2009
Tulsa Homeowner Shoots At Burglary Suspect
A brazen burglary attempt ended in gunfire Wednesday.
A 20-year-old Tulsa man is accused of kicking down a door, and the homeowner stared him down with a loaded gun.
The incident occurred near 58th Street and South Memorial Road about 11:30 a.m.
In broad daylight, two men parked their car and knocked on the door to make sure no one was home.
They peered around into the backyard and watched for neighbors.
But the homeowner was home, watching through the windows. And when his door was kicked in, he did what he is trained to do as a reserve officer.
"I believe if I didn't have a gun, I would have been in trouble," said the burglary victim, who asked to be identified only as John. "If he was armed, then he would have shot me."
He was inside his house when two men he didn't know began walking around his property.
The suspect was not armed, but he got into this house using his feet. He literally began kicking down the door, and he busted through a panel and began crawling inside.
"I've gotta protect my house," John said. "I'm just thankful my wife and my daughter wasn't home."
As an experienced gun owner, he says he knew what to do.
"He was about halfway through the part he had kicked in, crawling," John said. "And I was on the phone with dispatch. I was talking to 911 until he began crawling into my home. Then I just dropped the phone, and that's when I started shooting."
John fired six shots. His bullets made contact with the getaway car, smashing the window.
Police later found and arrested 20-year-old Justin Boyd on complaints of first-degree burglary, false impersonation and hit and run, all after a previous felony conviction, in addition to two previous charges.
John says his neighborhood is full of young families and young kids.
"I think people need to arm themselves," he said.
That's what neighbor Bridgette Glasby is doing. She has a 4-year-old daughter and says the getaway car drove right her front yard.
"Terrifying, you just don't know how to stay safe anymore," Glasby said.
She said she was on her way to buy a gun.
After police arrived on scene, they used a search dog and a helicopter to try to find the second suspect, but he got away.
They're asking anyone who has any information to call Crime Stoppers at 596-COPS.
Labels: OK, residence burglary
Seabrook, New Hampshire
From April 15, 2009 Seacoast Online:
PORTSMOUTH — When Christopher Duhan kicked open the back door of a Seabrook residence to commit a Monday afternoon burglary, he was met by the lady of the house who chased him off with her handgun, according to police.
Duhan, 28, of 147 Ashworth Ave., Hampton Beach, was arraigned Tuesday in Portsmouth District Court on a felony count of burglary. According to an affidavit by officer Scott Mendes, Seabrook patrol officers were dispatched to a B Street residence at 12:30 p.m. Monday, for an "active" daytime burglary. The homeowner told police she was about to take a shower when she heard "loud crashing," so she grabbed her pistol and came face-to-face with the intruder, who she recognized as Duhan, a drug-dependent friend of a family member, according to court documents.
Gun in hand, the homeowner told Duhan she was calling the police before he fled across Route 1, police allege. Based on a clothing and vehicle description, Seabrook police arrested Duhan at a Hampton hotel where he has been residing, according to the affidavit.
Labels: female, NH, residence burglary
Anchorage, Alaska
From the Anchorage Daily News of April 3, 2009
Todd Palin's half sister is arrested for burglary
Todd Palin's half-sister was arrested Thursday after police say she broke into a Wasilla home to steal money for the second time this week but ended up getting caught by the armed homeowner. The woman's 4-year-old daughter was nearby, police said.
Todd Palin is Gov. Sarah Palin's husband. He referred questions to a spokeswoman for the governor, who said the family would have no comment.
Police arrested 35-year-old Diana Palin at a house on West Mill Site Circle near Wasilla's Multi-Use Sports Complex.
Homeowner Theodore Turcott told police an unfamiliar gray 1993 Toyota Camry pulled into his driveway Thursday morning, according to a affidavit filed Friday at the Palmer courthouse. Turcott told police he'd been burglarized twice recently: Someone stole $2,200 on March 26, leaving $400 behind, and after another apparent break-in Tuesday, all but $9 was gone.
So, Turcott told police, when he didn't recognize the woman getting out of the Camry, he grabbed a gun and hid in the bathroom to see what would happen, said Wasilla police Deputy Chief Greg Wood.
Palin made straight for the bedroom cabinet where Turcott kept his cash, Wood said.
Turcott confronted her, detaining her until police arrived, he said.
(More)
Labels: AK, residence burglary
Weatherford, Texas
From the Weatherford Democrat of March XX, 2009
Shotgun blast deters robbers
Authorities arrested Jose Manuel Salas, 33, and Javier Harvey Ortiz, 44, Saturday in connection with an early morning robbery along Azle Highway.
Reports indicate a homeowner operating a business from the same location called for help at approximately 1:30 a.m. after he found two men stealing cash and rolls of quarters from his business.
The homeowner told the men to stop before firing a shotgun once at one of the suspects who then fled with another man in a car, according to an affidavit detailing the incident.
A short time later, Parker County Sheriff’s deputies detained a vehicle matching the homeowner’s description. Salas was driving and Ortiz was a passenger, the Sheriff’s Office said.
A statement claims deputies found stolen property matching a description given by the homeowner inside the vehicle, and the homeowner arrived to identify the suspects and vehicle.
Salas was charged with burglary of a habitation, failure to maintain financial responsibility and for no driver’s license.
Ortiz was arrested in accordance with a Tarrant County warrant and was also charged with burglary of habitation.
Labels: residence burglary, TX
Parker County, Texas
From March 6, 2009 NBC affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth:
A rural North Texas woman said she dialed 911 repeatedly but got no answer as an intruder roamed her home in the dark.
Laverne Hokett lives in Parker County, just west of Fort Worth.
She said she was awakened one night last month by someone breaking through her back door. She dialed 911 several times from her cell phone but got no answer. Then she called her daughter Deborah Turpin.
She and her husband arrived at her mother's home and held the intruder at gunpoint while dialing 911 over and over before getting an answer.
Labels: residence burglary, TX
Lexington County, South Carolina
From The State of February 21, 2009
Homeowner holds suspect at bay in pool
A Lexington County man suffered cuts — but still was able to detain a man police say was caught breaking into his home Thursday.
The homeowner held the man — at gunpoint — in his swimming pool.
Ruben Silva-Aguilar, 19, of Lexington, was arrested on charges of first-degree burglary and assault and battery with intent to kill in connection with the incident, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said. Silva-Aguilar is being held at the county detention center, awaiting a bail hearing.
Reports indicate a homeowner on Gilbert Springs Court near Batesburg-Leesville arrived home Thursday as a burglary was taking place.
According to reports, items were being carried out of the home’s back door when the homeowner was cut on the arm with a knife. The homeowner managed to throw the man into the pool.
Deputies responded at about 3:35 p.m. to a call about a burglary in progress, Metts said. A neighbor directed them to the home’s backyard, where they found the homeowner — armed with a rifle — had forced the suspect to stand in the middle of the in-ground pool, reports say.
Labels: residence burglary, SC
Ferris, Texas
From the February 7, 2009 Waxahachie (Tex.) Daily Light:
FERRIS – The Ellis County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting incident that occurred before noon in the 200 block of Newton Road near Ferris.
Sheriff Johnny Brown said the homeowners were in the process of moving when they returned to the residence to pick up another load of belongings. En route, they observed two male suspects coming out of the residence.
As the two suspects went to drive away in an SUV later identified by authorities as stolen, the male homeowner exited his pickup to ask them what they were doing.
The suspect vehicle then struck the homeowner’s pickup and the homeowner, who suffered slight injuries.
“The homeowner opened fire on them at that point,” Brown said.
The suspect vehicle then struck another vehicle that the homeowner’s wife had exited before going out into a field and coming to a stop.
“The passenger got out and ran. The driver-suspect was transported by air ambulance with gunshot wounds,” Brown said.
Labels: assault, residence burglary, TX
Wellington, Florida
From the February 16, 2009 South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
WELLINGTON - One man is dead and a couple is left shaken after a home-invasion robbery turned deadly early Monday.
The intruder wound up dead after he was shot by Heath Miller, 34, a popular music teacher at Howell L. Watkins MIddle School. The dead man is identified as Robert Rishard Tomlin, 22.
According to Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office spokesman Pete Palenzuela, Tomlin entered the home Miller was renting through a back sliding-glass door at about at approximately 1:50 a.m. Miller told authorities he saw the silhouette of an individual with a handgun coming through the bedroom door and fired.
Miller and his wife Mirelle were quite shaken and were staying with his parents, said his mother Harma Miller, a former Belle Glade mayor who served for 14 years as a city commissioner.
...
Miller had concealed weapons permits from 1999 to 2003, according to records, which are no longer public.
Labels: concealed carry permit, FL, residence burglary
Sampson County, North Carolina
From the February 13, 2009 Dunn (N.C.) Daily Record:
A Fayetteville man's plan to rob a Sampson County man's home went awry Tuesday when he got a surprise - an unexpected meeting with the home's owner, complete with a .22-caliber rifle.
According to the Sampson County Sheriff's Office and the homeowners, Richard Corderro Woods, 21, of Asbury Road in Fayetteville was arrested Tuesday morning after Bryan Tew came home and allegedly saw Mr. Woods coming out the back door of his home in the 600 block of Eldon Store Road in the Mingo community.
Mr. Tew, a local turkey farmer, said he was driving his tractor down the road to fill it with fuel around 11:30 when he noticed an unfamiliar Buick Roadmaster with a burgundy top parked in his garage with the trunk open.
He said he parked his John Deere in front of the car, jumped down and was reaching behind the seat of his pickup truck for his rifle when he heard Mr. Woods kick open the back door, heard broken glass and saw him step outside with an armload of electronics, Wii games and a jar of change.
"You ever see those cartoons where their eyes get big as saucers? That's what he looked like," Mr. Tew said. "I yelled at him and when he saw that gun, he sat the stuff down on the freezer near the back door turned around and ran back into the house."
Mr. Tew said he chased Mr. Woods and caught up with him when Mr. Woods slipped on the linoleum near the front door of the home.
"I told him to stay down and put his hands out," Mr. Tew said. "He was saying he was sorry. He said he'd pay for the glass in the door if I'd just let him go. He said he had to go to the bathroom.
"You know, a friend of mine said your body only produces about a teaspoon of adrenaline in a lifetime," he said. "Well, I think I used my whole teaspoon."
Mr. Tew said since the incident he has wondered time and again what he would have done if Mr. Woods had had a gun.
"I told the deputies, "The thing is my rifle wasn't loaded,' " Mr. Tew said. "They laughed and said, "Hey, that's all right. He didn't know that.' "
Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton said as it turns out, Mr. Tew had apprehended a suspect his office had been looking for since the middle of January in connection with several break-ins in the area.
"We didn't know who he was, but we were looking for the automobile," he said. "Every time the automobile was spotted in that end of the county, he was gone by the time we got there.
Labels: NC, residence burglary
Springfield, Ohio
From the January 22, 2009 Springfield News-Sun:
SPRINGFIELD — Police are searching for a man who may have been shot while allegedly burglarizing a garage Wednesday night, Jan. 21.
A man from the 200 block of West Southern Avenue reported hearing a burglar in his garage over a baby monitor he had installed to listen for break-ins, according to a police report.
The man went outside with a handgun to investigate when the intruder lunged at him and the gun "went off," the victim told police.
The burglar shouted "I'm dead, I'm dead" before escaping on foot, according to the report.
Chief Stephen Moody of the Springfield Police Division said he could not confirm that the intruder had been wounded.
"We found evidence at the scene which led us to believe he had been hit by gunfire," the chief said.
Labels: OH, residence burglary
Las Vegas, Nevada
From the February 16, 2009 San Jose Mercury-News:
LAS VEGAS—Las Vegas police say a homeowner shot and killed a suspected burglar after coming home and finding the person in his home.Homicide Lt. Lew Roberts says the homeowner likely would not be charged for the Sunday incident west of Nellis Air Force Base, but said the investigation was still in its early stages.
Labels: NV, residence burglary
Tulsa, Oklahoma
From the February 10, 2009 Tulsa World:
Just after 1 a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 600 block of East 53rd Street North. They found Terrance L. Johnson, 16, dead from multiple gunshot wounds.
Police at the scene said the shooting might have resulted from a botched robbery attempt. On Monday, however, detectives were still investigating what led to the shooting, Ashley said.
Preliminary information indicates that Johnson had gained entry into the home and that a resident of the home saw him with a handgun. The resident retrieved a gun and shot Johnson, Ashley said.
The man who shot Johnson was interviewed by police and released. The case will be forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for a determination on whether charges should be filed.
Labels: minor offender, OK, residence burglary
Dallas, Texas
From MyFoxDFW of February 7, 2009
Homeowner, Suspect Both Hurt after Burglary
A Bristol homeowner was hurt Sunday after he rolled up on a burglary in progress. But he was able to shoot and stop one suspect before he got away.
According to the Ellis County Sheriff's Office, the homeowner and his family returned home at around 11:30 a.m. They noticed two men about the take off in an SUV with some of their belongings.
The suspects tried to drive off, slamming into the homeowner's truck and hurting both him and is young children. The man told deputies he them pulled out his small-caliber rifle and fired shots at the SUV.
One of the suspects was hit three times and is now in critical condition at a local hospital. The second suspect fled on foot.
Ellis County sheriff's deputies are still searching for the second suspect. Residents are urged to call 911 if they notice someone suspicious.
Labels: altercation, residence burglary, TX
Tyler, Texas
From the February 2, 2009 Tyler Morning Telegraph:
A Tyler woman successfully defended her property and children from would-be burglars by shooting at and hitting one of them through her bedroom door while she was locked inside, police said this morning.Police responded to the report of a burglary in progress at the Southwest Pines Apartments shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday. The resident, a 31-year-old woman, said someone was in her apartment and she was locked in her bedroom with her children, police said in a prepared statement. The suspects, who entered the locked back door, attempted to get into the locked bedroom, and the victim shot through her bedroom door.
Police arrived and a 14-year-old boy was detained for questioning.
A few minutes later, officers received information that a black male near the front of the apartment complex was advising he had been shot. Other officers responded to this location and found another 14-year-old boy who had been shot in the left jaw. Fire and EMS personnel arrived and took over the care of the boy, who was transported to East Texas Medical Center.
The investigation revealed that three males had entered the apartment to burglarize it, and one of them was shot, police said. The age of the third suspect was not revealed by police. The suspect who was shot was admitted to ETMC awaiting surgery. He was listed in good condition before dawn today, according to a police statement. He is under arrest for residential burglary.
Labels: residence burglary, TX
Vancouver, Washington
From February 3, 2009 KPTV channel 12:
VANCOUVER, Wash. -- A man wearing only his underpants caught a burglar breaking into his home and held him at gunpoint until officers could arrive, police said.
The suspected prowler was facing serious charges after the alert homeowner caught him in the act and held him at gunpoint early Tuesday morning in northeast Vancouver.
Police said Matthew Morris, 24, was trying to break into the family's cars and possibly their home, when he ended up facing the barrel of the homeowner's gun.
Tuesday, a woman FOX 12 will refer to only as "Sandy" was still shaken up over her family's startling wake-up call.
"We were afraid. I mean, my husband was afraid and I was afraid for my children and for our safety," Sandy said.
After a recent string of car break-ins, including one right next door, Sandy and her husband set out a motion sensor in front of their house.
So when the alarm was activated early Tuesday morning, they didn't hesitate."(We) went to the window and saw the person in between our two vehicles and then trying to look in the front window," Sandy said.
Her husband grabbed one of their guns and ran out to confront the man.
The firearm probably wasn't the only thing to catch the accused burglar by surprise since Sandy's husband was only wearing his underwear.
Labels: residence burglary, WA
Houston, Texas
From the January 23, 2009 Houston Chronicle:
Homicide detectives are still investigating an overnight shooting in which a resident of a north Houston apartment said he disarmed a burglar and killed him with his own gun.
The shooting occurred about 10 p.m. Thursday at the Worthington Apartments at 1350 Greens Parkway, KHOU Channel 11 reported.
Police said two residents reported that they came home and found that two men had broken into their apartment.
One of the intruders had a gun, which was wrestled away from him during a struggle with the residents, police said.
The resident fired, killing one of the burglars, while the other ran away, police were told.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, residence burglary, TX
Dallas, Texas
From January 21, 2009 Fox News channel 4:
DALLAS -- A 17-year-old burglary suspect ended up shot to death late Wednesday morning when he confronted a man with a gun in an east Oak Cliff home
Dallas police say Gabriel Flores allegedly kicked in the door of a home in the 300 block of Hobson St. He was still inside when the 51-year-old son of the elderly homeowners came by to drop off a newspaper.
The son, who has a concealed handgun license and was carrying his weapon, confronted Flores. Police say Flores drew his own weapon and fired at the son as he fled the house. The son returned fire and struck Flores once.
Flores died later at the hospital. The case will be referred to a grand jury. The homeowners were not at home during the shooting, and no one else was hurt.
Labels: concealed carry permit, residence burglary, TX
Lincoln County, Nebraska
From December 19, 2008 KSBI channel 52:
Lincoln County, Okla. -- A man who was shot is in jail himself. The incident happened Thursday night in Lincoln County.Sheriff's deputies say it stems from an incident that happened last week.Officials say Joshua Starkey broke into the man's house last week. The homeowner spotted him Thursday night while driving and followed him.Starkey eventually stopped, got out of the car and started to run. That's when the homeowner fired the shot at Starkey's vehicle. Starkey was hit in the shoulder by a fragment. Starkey was arrested shortly after.The homeowner was not arrested.Officials say Starkey is responsible for other burglaries in the area and he also had $3,600 in warrants out against him.A second suspect, Jason Cornett, was arrested last week for allegedly breaking into the home along with Starkey.
Labels: NE, residence burglary
Columbus, Ohio
From the December 23, 2008 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer:
Ludwig Leonard Grudisher, the Columbus man fatally shot Saturday night at a Reese Road home, had been arrested two weeks earlier for firing a gun at the same house.
Columbus police said Grudisher, 52, was hit by a shotgun blast fired by his stepson around 9:45 p.m. Saturday night. He was accused of burglarizing the stepson’s home and then trying to run him down with his truck when he was shot.
Two weeks earlier, police say Grudisher was at the house. An arrest report from Dec. 7 states Grudisher, who lived less than 150 feet from his stepson’s home, fired several shots at the home and then fled in his vehicle.
The stepson saw Grudisher fire at his home, police said. Grudisher was arrested at 6:30 p.m. that day outside Grace Baptist Church. He appeared in Columbus Recorders Court the next day and was given a $10,000 bond.
Grudisher was out on a property bond at the time of his death, court records show.
Police have not filed any charges in the Saturday case, though it will be forwarded to the district attorney’s office.
Labels: altercation, OH, residence burglary
Walhalla, South Carolina
From December 23, 2008 UpstateToday.com:
WALHALLA — The Oconee County Sheriff’s Department incident report lists Donnie Murphy as the victim, but it appears the suspect arrested for the burglary of Murphy’s house might have gotten the worst end of the deal.
Sheriff’s deputies responded Sunday afternoon to a burglary call at 163 Murphy Drive in Walhalla and learned that Murphy had shot a burglar in the buttocks. Kirby Alan Ridley was later brought into custody on burglary charges at a Ranger Road home in Walhalla and sent to Oconee Medical Center for treatment of his wound.
The report summary states Murphy told officers he was in the bathroom when he heard a noise near his kitchen. He then walked out of the bathroom, retrieved his .22 pistol from his closet, and discovered a man standing in front of his fireplace. After telling the burglar to stop, the subject allegedly reached into his pocket as if to get a gun or weapon and began walking back towards the kitchen, at which point Murphy shot him.
Deputies located Kirby, called an ambulance and followed him to Oconee Medical Center.
Labels: residence burglary, SC
Dupo, Illinois
From the Belleview News Democrat of December 12, 2008
Dupo homeowner thwarts, handcuffs burglar
A Dupo resident fought back and made a citizen's arrest when a man attempted to burglarize his home in the middle of the day.
A St. Clair County sheriff's deputy responded at 1:16 p.m. Dec. 3 to a burglary in progress call in the 2800 block of Stolle Road in Dupo.
When deputy Cerether White arrived, he found Eric L. Kirk, 35, of 117 S. Fourth St. in Dupo, handcuffed outside the home with the 35-year-old homeowner kneeling on him.
The homeowner told White that Kirk had knocked on his door, and he didn't recognize him when he looked out the window. The homeowner tried to run the license plate on a blue minivan Kirk was standing near but could not read the entire plate, so he decided to get his gun, according to the police report.
When the homeowner, whose name was not released by the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department, retrieved his gun and returned to the door, his dogs started barking. That's when he noticed Kirk and the van were gone. The homeowner told police he then saw the van backed up to his garage and Kirk using a crow bar to try to open the garage door.
The homeowner called 911 to report the crime in progress and then fired two rounds into the ground near Kirk.
According to the police report, Kirk ran to the van and attempted to get away when the homeowner grabbed him, wrestled him to the ground and slapped handcuffs on him with the assistance of a neighbor.
"After interviewing the victim and a witness, (it was determined that) the victim shot his firearm in defense of his life and his home," said Capt. Steve Johnson, chief investigator for the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department. "Although law enforcement never wants citizens to take the law into their own hands, in this incident, it was a volatile situation."
Kirk has been charged with attempted burglary. His bail is set at $25,000, and he remains in custody in the St. Clair County Jail.
Labels: IL, residence burglary
Burlington, Vermont
From WCAX of November 25, 2008
North Hero Burglary Suspect Arrested
Police say they've arrested the burglar who was shot at by a homeowner Monday in North Hero. It turns out the suspect is a career burglar who is well-known to the police and he has even been interviewed by Channel 3 News several times.
Now Eric Edson, 37, is back behind bars facing new burglary charges. And the police say he made catching him all too easy.
"Through follow-up investigation we learned that he was residing in the Burlington area," said Sgt. Kirk Cooper, of the Vt. State Police.
Police say Edson was arrested sitting outside his mother-in-law's apartment in Burlington. The arrest came less than 20 hours after police say Edson broke into two homes in North Hero for burglaries. But he made a big mistake in the second house when the homeowner caught him red-handed.
"The homeowner went to his residence, had a handgun, entered his residence, and confronted a male subject that was in his residence, and the homeowner fired two rounds from his handgun as the subject fled the area," Cooper said.
Police say Edson escaped uninjured and stole a truck to make his getaway. That triggered a massive manhunt Monday night in Grand Isle. Edson made it easy for the police to figure out who the burglar was because he drove to the homes in his own Blazer and he left it behind.
"Which was good for us," Cooper said. "That was a good clue."
Police say the homeowner who shot at Edson identified him from a photo lineup. And his picture had been in many lineups in the last two decades. He has more than three dozen felony convictions for burglaries and thefts, which have kept him behind bars for most of his adult life. He has been interviewed on Channel 3 several times for his views on prison life, including one month ago, when we did a report about rapes in prison. Edson denied that rapes were being committed in Vermont prisons.
"You're more protected in there than out here. I could leave here today and get shot. The chances of me going to the chow hall and getting shot or stabbed is zero," Edson said.
(More)
Labels: residence burglary, VT
Fayetteville, North Carolina
From WRAL of October 23, 2008
Fayetteville police: Resident shot suspect during burglary
Fayetteville police said that a resident shot and wounded a suspect during a home break-in Thursday afternoon.
Two people forced their way into a residence in the 400 block of Acacia Circle around 2:30 p.m., officers said. The victim was at home and heard the burglars as they tried to take several items.
Investigators said that the resident confronted the burglars with a firearm. The resident shot one person in the lower leg and detained him until police arrived.
The second burglar fled the scene by unknown means, police said.
The suspect was transported to Cape Fear Valley Hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said they plan to charge him with felony breaking-and-entering and felony larceny. Investigators have not been able to determine the man's identity.
Detectives remained at the crime scene late Thursday afternoon.
Labels: NC, residence burglary
Cleveland, Ohio
From the Plain Dealer of September 23, 2008
East Side homeowner kills break-in suspect
A man was shot in the chest and killed about 2:45 this morning by a homeowner who said the man had broken into his house.
Police said it happened in the 13400 block of St. Clair Avenue.
Lawrence Hanson, 65, said he was awakened by the sound of someone breaking into the house. When the Hanson went downstairs to investigate, he saw signs that his house was being burglarized. He went back upstairs, got dressed and grabbed his gun.
Hanson said he had no intention to shoot and kill a burglar morning. Hanson confronted the man, whose name has not been released, and ordered the intruder to stop.
The man approached Hanson. The gun went off, and the man fell to the ground, Hanson said. "I can't believe I shot somebody," he said, standing next to his garage.
Hanson was not arrested, but police seized the gun. The case is under investigation.
Labels: intruder, OH, residence burglary, senior
Tucson, Arizona
From the September 18, 2008 Tucson Citizen:
PHOENIX - Phoenix police say one of their officers shot and wounded a man who had been holding a burglar at gunpoint inside his home.
...Arriving officers found a screaming woman who had fled the last home with two children while her mate confronted the intruder.Thompson says officers went inside, ordered everyone out and saw the armed resident coming down a hallway. One officer shot the 35-year-old man several times, but he's expected to survive.Officers then detained the intruder.
Labels: AZ, residence burglary
Augusta, Georgia
From September 11, 2008 WRDW channel 12:
AUGUSTA, Ga. --- Investigators tell News 12 an 18-year-old with a butcher knife was trying to get into a house on the 14 hundred block of Wrightsboro Road.
Deputies say the homeowner shot the intruder in the left leg with a 12gauge shotgun.
The teen is recovering at MCG. At this time no charges have been filed.
Labels: GA, residence burglary
Kalamazoo, Michigan
From September 8, 2008 WOOD channel 8:
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) -- A Kalamazoo man died from a heart attack following a struggle with a thief at his residence.
It was around 4 a.m. Sunday when the incident occurred in the 1300 block of Homecrest Avenue.
Joe Rizzutto, 64, confronted the suspect who was trying to break into the Rizzutto's vehicle. The two men got into a scuffle in the driveway and Rizzutto shot the suspect in a leg.
Rizzutto then suffered a massive heart attack. Officers arrived and began CPR on Rizzutto who was taken to a hospital where he later died.
The suspect, a 38-year-old Kalamazoo resident, was taken to a hospital where he is in serious condition.
Friends believe the attempted break-in was random and that Rizzutto was protecting his family and property.
Labels: MI, residence burglary
Gary, Indiana
From the September 8, 2008 Gary Post-Tribune:
GARY -- The shadowy figure in the kitchen window didn't answer Saturday night when confronted by the homeowner who shouted repeated warnings.So it wasn't until after the burglar was shot trying to run out the back door that the homeowner discovered he'd wounded his second cousin.
"He told me he yelled, 'I'm armed, I called the police,' but the man inside never said anything," Detective Jeff Hornyak said Sunday.
Todd K. Godfrey, 46, was shot in the wrist about 10:20 p.m. by his relative, 51-year-old Tarold Blakey, as he tried to leave through a basement door.
Blakey said he and his fiance had returned to his home in the 2500 block of Tyler Street and saw a silhouette in the kitchen. He called police, then shouted to the intruder, police said.
When Blakey realized the man was trying to flee, he fired a single warning shot.
"That's when the guy finally says something," Hornyak said.
Police found the house had been ransacked, but nothing appeared to be missing.
Labels: IN, residence burglary
Jackson, Mississippi
From September 9, 2008 WLBT channel 3:
A would be burglar gets more than he bargains for while breaking into a West Jackson home. The homeowner sent the burglar to the hospital. It happened in the 600 block of Hillsdale Drive off Clinton Boulevard.
A homeowner on Hillsdale Drive was still in bed around 9:00 a.m. when a burglar woke him from his sleep.
"Once he heard Mr. Moore attempt to break into the home he retrieved a weapon and fired a shot striking Mr. Moore," said Jackson Police Lt. Jeffery Scott.
Eighteen year old Lorenzo Moore was shot once in the arm. He fled the home and was taken by private vehicle to University Medical Center. One neighbor we spoke to believes the homeowner should have taken further action. "He shouldn't have just wounded him. He should have killed him dead," said Thelma Moore, no relation to the accused burglar. "If he got enough nerve to come in and shoot, he's going to kill you if you don't kill him. Take him out."
It's not clear if the burglar had a weapon on him at the time of the break in. Jackson Police say that is something Moore will be asked in questioning.
Labels: MS, residence burglary
Bay County, Florida
From September 3, 2008 WMBB channel 13:
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man on counts of Burglary Monday night. The incident took place just down the street from the burglar’s own home.
Jimmy Miller was arrested at his residence on Blue Gill Drive, only a tenth of a mile away from the victim Bradley Hawthorne’s house, also on Blue Gill Drive.
Hawthorne told police he heard his wife’s car door slam while standing on his porch, and then saw someone running towards the back of his property. He says he went inside his residence to get a gun and says when he came back out the intruder was coming toward him making threats. Hawthorne then fired one shot in the direction of the subject. Police arrested Miller after he was identified as the intruder.
Bay County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Jeremy Mathis says this was well within Hawthorne’s rights of protecting himself and his possessions, especially according to a relatively new law.
Labels: FL, residence burglary
Charlotte, North Carolina
From WBTV of September 2, 2008
Would-be Burglar Killed, Police Say
Police are investigating a shooting that happened Tuesday afternoon in northwest Charlotte.
Reports suggest a man came home to find Timothy Michael Quinn inside his house. Police say Quinn broke into the home through a side door.
The homeowner confronted Quinn, telling him to get on the floor. He told police Quinn came towards him instead. That's when the homeowner shot Quinn at least one time with a handgun.
Police say the homeowner called 911 and voluntarily accompanied CMPD officers to Police Headquarters for an interview. So far, no charges have been filed.
Anyone with information about this incident can now call 704-432-TIPS and you will be able to speak to a Homicide Unit detective directly. Detective Osorio is the lead detective working this case. In addition, the public can still call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 with any information.
Labels: home invasion, NC, residence burglary
Muncie, Indiana
From the Indy Channel of September 2, 2008
Man Holds Would-Be Robber At Gunpoint
A Muncie man whose home was burglarized Monday held a would-be robber at gunpoint after waiting in the dark for two hours to see if the burglars would return, police said.
Michael Angel returned home Monday evening to find his back door open and several items missing from his home, 6News' Jennifer Carmack reported.
He said he called police to make a report and then talked to neighbors, who said they'd seen a few people and a black pickup truck near his home that day.
Angel said he wanted to see if the burglars would come back, so he sat in a back room in the dark with his gun. After two hours, Angel said he saw a pickup truck that matched his neighbors' pull up to the back of the house.
"I heard the guy enter the house and he was shuffling through stuff in my room," he said.
Angel said he walked down the hall with his rifle, cocked the gun and turned on the light.
"I started screaming at him and he dove onto the ground," he said. "I didn't want to shoot anybody, but I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if the guy had a gun or not."
Angel said he called 911 and held the man -- later identified as Michael Boykin, 50 -- at gunpoint until police arrived.
"I think people around here should take a lesson and be more vigilant of the neighborhood and not rely so much on the police, because they're busy enough, and rely more on themselves and their neighbors," Angel said.
Boykin was arrested and preliminarily charged with burglary. Police said he has a lengthy criminal history, including a previous burglary conviction and several other theft arrests. Police are investigating if he may be connected to several other break-ins in the area.
Labels: IN, residence burglary
Fawn Lake Township, Minnesota
From the August 12, 2008 Long Prairie [Minnesota] Leader:
Labels: MN, residence burglary
Courtland, Virginia
From the Tidewater News of August 12, 2008
Homeowner holds gun on man until police arrive
An Ivor resident who returned home early one day last week was able to help police apprehend a man who had broken into at least two homes along Holloman Drive.
When he got home last Tuesday and found a man ransacking his house, the burglary victim grabbed a shotgun, confronted the man and held him at bay until police could arrive on the scene.
When they got there, they found that the man, 35-year-old Christopher Michael Hosking, who is listed as “homeless” in court records, was in possession of a handgun that had been stolen from another house nearby, along with cash that had been taken from the second victim’s home, according to Detective Cpl. Richard Morris of the Southampton Sheriff’s Office.
Hosking was charged with breaking and entering, grand larceny, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and first-offense possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor. Morris said the man also has criminal charges pending in South Carolina.
At least four members of the Sheriff’s Department responded to the early afternoon call. Deputies Doug Ottmers, Robert Busching and J.B. Stutts joined Sheriff Vernie W. Francis Jr. at the scene, Morris said Tuesday.
Labels: residence burglary, VA
Miami-Dade, Florida
From NBC6 of July 20, 2008
Would-Be Burglar Shot
A homeowner shot a would-be burglar in Southwest Miami-Dade on Sunday, police said.
Police said the man shot was one of two thieves who tried to burglarize a house in the 2400 block of 117th Avenue about 2 a.m.
He was taken to the hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. The second man apparently got away.
Neighbors said the house, which sits on the side of the street nearest the interstate, has been hit by thieves before.
Police said two children, ages 5 and 9, were inside the house when the culprits tried to break in.
No charges had been filed against the homeowner Sunday.
Labels: FL, residence burglary
Charlotte, North Carolina
From News 14 of July 21, 2008
Teenager fends off would-be robbers
Two suspects are on the run after a teenager in the house they were robbing turned one of the criminals' guns against them.
At about 8:30 a.m. Saturday, police said two robbers broke into Danielle Gardin's home in north Charlotte.
"One guy opened up the garage, let the van in and then they started going upstairs," Gardin said.
Gardin wasn't home, but her 14-year-old son Dante was. He had locked the door to his room at the top of the stairs, called 911 and hid in the closet.
"One of the guys kicked the door in, and then he started going through Dante's stuff," Gardin said.
The teenager had armed himself with a pocket knife. And with the stranger in his room distracted, Dante attacked.
"That's when he came out of the closet and that's when he stabbed the guy in the stomach," Gardin said.
While the two struggled in the room, the robber's gun fell to the floor. Dante picked it up and aimed it at the would-be criminal.
The man then took off down the stairs then sped away with his accomplice in the getaway van, damaging part of Gardin's garage in the process.
"I watch the news all the time and see this on the news all the time," Gardin said. "You just never think that it's going to happen to you, but, hey, you can't ever rule yourself out."
Hours after the ordeal, the damage to the home was already being repaired. And Gardin said she knows it could have been much worse.
"I was scared not knowing if he was OK," she said. "Just to know that he is OK, mentally and physically, was just the most important part for me."
Police said both suspects are black males with dreadlocks. One of the suspects was wearing a long-sleeved black T-shirt and jeans. The other was wearing a blue polo shirt with white stripes.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, minor defender, NC, residence burglary
Jackson, Mississippi
From WLBT of July 17, 2008
Suspected Burglar Shot
One man is hospitalized after being shot during a home burglary. It happened just after 12 o'clock at the Elton Park Apartments on Elton Road in south Jackson.
Police say a tenant of building eleven came home to find his apartment door kicked in. The man then approached his home and yelled for anyone inside to come out. Authorities say when three men ran out of the apartment, the resident started firing shots. The suspected burglars escaped through a hole in a fence surrounding the complex.
Police later found one of the culprits hiding in a nearby culvert with two gunshot wounds. Paramedics transported him to UMC but the other two suspects got away.
Commander Jeremiah Jones says officers happened to be in the right place at the right time - "The ironic part about it is the same time this was occuring we were doing a sting operation on the other side on Raymond Road, another house burglary suspect that had been breaking into houses attempted to sell things."
Commander Jones says the three burglary suspects had broken into another apartment at Elton Park around the same time.
Authorities have not released the identity of the shooter nor the suspects. At this time, the resident has not been charged in connection with the shooting.
Labels: MS, residence burglary
West Valley City, Utah
From the Salt Lake Tribune of July 2, 2008
W. Valley man foils burglars - in his underwear, with a shotgun
Next time, maybe some pants?
Still, West Valley City homeowner Tony Gamonal managed to foil burglars when he took out after them with a shotgun -- and wearing only his boxer shorts.
2News reports today that he surprised the burglars, then armed himself to give chase. A nearby police officer joined him, eventually capturing one of the pair, a woman. The second suspect, a man, remained at large.
Gamonal says it wasn't until the capture that he realized he was outside, in the street, in his underwear.
"I looked down and said, 'Oh man . . . here I am,'" he told 2News.
Gamonal says this is the second time robbers have targeted his home in two weeks.
The last time, the hinges were cut off his gate and up to $10,000 worth of property was stolen. The fence around his home has also been vandalized with spray-paint.
He says he's had it. And he plans to protect his home -- regardless of what he is, or is not, wearing
"If you can't be safe in your own home, where can you be?" Gamonal says. "There was no doubt; I was so mad that I would have shot them."
Labels: residence burglary, UT
Norene Community, Tennessee
From the Wilson Post of June 19, 2008
Three nabbed after manhunt
Three people are in custody after an all-day manhunt after an attempted home burglary on Sherrilltown Road in the Norene Community, south-southeast of Lebanon, on Thursday.
Wilson County Sheriff Terry Ashe said the incident began around 7 a.m. yesterday when a home on Sherrilltown Road was allegedly broken into. Alan Ricketts, brother of the man who owns the home, and their father, heard the break-in and ran and confronted the three suspects as they were leaving the residence. Ricketts and their father reside nearby.
Ashe said the three suspects tried to run over Ricketts and his father in their truck. Ricketts and his father then began shooting at the three. The gunshots damaged the truck which ended up in a ditch. The three suspects escaped on foot.
The three suspects have been identified as Timmy Dewayne Tomlinson Jr., 22, of Holloway Circle, Lebanon; Jeffery Craddock, 26, of Trousdale Ferry Pike, Lebanon; and Shanna Seibers, 29, of 441 Grant Highway, Gordonsville.
Tomlinson was found and arrested after about three hours, and Craddock was arrested about one hour later, he said.
By coincidence, officers with the Wilson County Sheriff’s Department were in the area assisting in Operation Falcon, a joint group including the U.S. Marshal’s Office, the Tennessee Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies that works together to find fugitives from justice.
The U.S. Marshal’s Office and THP officers assisted the Sheriff’s Department in searing for the three people. Ashe noted also that Officer Derrick Way with the Mt. Juliet Police Department and his dog assisted in the search, as well.
THP used its helicopter and reportedly located the three suspects in different locations as officers on the ground worked to get to them and place them under arrest.
“(They) opened fire on them,” Ashe said of Ricketts and his father, adding neither one of them broke any laws.
“I believe in the Second Amendment,” Ashe said, adding he believes homeowners have a right to defend their lives and homes.
The sheriff praised the actions of Ricketts and his father, noting they fired their weapons only to disable the truck the suspects were in and not to hurt them.
“We’re formulating charges," Ashe said, against the three suspects, adding “there will be multiple charges.”
There were no injuries reported as a result of the incident, although one of the suspects was complaining of a sore wrist which Ashe said would be looked at by medical personnel.
Labels: assault, residence burglary, TN
Antioch, Texas
From KSLA of June 5, 2008
Cass Cty. man kills suspected burglar
Authorities in Cass County are still sorting out the details surrounding an alleged burglary, where a suspect was fatally shot.
Cass County investigators say an Antioch, Texas man came home Wednesday afternoon to find a burglar inside the residence. The homeowner told police he grabbed a gun and found a woman running out the back door. He confronted her and another man in the back yard.
He called 911, telling the operator he was holding the pair until authorities arrived. By the time deputies got to the scene, some kind of altercation had taken place and the male suspect was dead from a gunshot wound.
Authorities have not released the name of the man who was killed.
The woman also at the house was last seen leaving in a white car.
So far no charges have been filed.
Labels: residence burglary, TX
Vienna, Maine
From the Sun Journal of June 5, 2008
Theft victim shoots up suspects' pickup truck
All Joe Lord needed to halt a pair of theft suspects was patience and a shotgun.
The 66-year-old man blew apart a Ford pickup truck Tuesday morning and scared away the couple he said had stolen $3,000 worth of scrap iron, steel and aluminum from his machine shop over the weekend.
Taking aim after more than two days without sleep, Lord shot holes in the front tires of the 2008 Ford F-250, blew out the windshield and rear window and shot up the radiator.
"I disabled the truck," Lord said Wednesday. "That's all I did."
Disabled the truck, forced the suspects to flee on foot and gave police a big head start toward solving the crime, that is.
Investigators from the Kennebec County Sheriff's Office said they tracked down the driver of the truck, Elizabeth Evans of Mount Vernon. The truck is owned by her father.
The girl will be charged with theft, and charges are pending against an accomplice, said Kennebec County Sheriff Randall Liberty.
Lord said that after watching his property on Kimball Pond Road for 56 hours straight, he would have aimed for the suspects themselves if he had seen them.
"It's not my intention to go around shooting people," Lord said. "But if they had been there, I would have shot them, no doubt about it. I was so exhausted."
Exhausted, but by all accounts a good shot with a 12-gauge loaded with buckshot.
Lord said he spotted the truck after returning to his shop for a third time Tuesday. It was parked there with a heap of scrap metal in the bed.
"I didn't do anything until I knew what they were doing," Lord said. "When I saw my steel in the back of the truck, I knew I had to do something."
Lord took aim and the disabling of the truck began.
"I blew out the radiator. I shot the two front tires and the windshield. There was some damage to the back window, too," Lord said. "I put some pellets in the seat. They said I got the water pump and the power steering, but I don't know about that."
None of the shots landed in the body of the truck, Lord said, because that was not his intent. He simply wanted the truck to stay where it was, and that is exactly what happened.
And, there were no more thieves milling around his business.
"A 12-gauge shotgun is pretty intimidating," Lord said. "It echoed for about a quarter-mile down to the lake."
More
Labels: ME, residence burglary, senior, trespassing
Rudy, Arkansas
From KSPR of June 3, 2008
Homeowner in Rudy, Ark., shoots man stealing gas
With prices nearing $4 a gallon, sheriff's deputies say Mark Holsted wanted to steal some gasoline from an unsuspecting resident of Crawford County.
However, that high price likely kept a homeowner armed with a 9mm pistol alert as well.
Deputies say an unidentified homeowner shot Holsted in the arm and thigh late Sunday night after spotting him stealing gas from a car parked outside a home in Rudy. Officers say Holsted was armed with a rifle at the time of the shooting and had an accomplice and a getaway driver.
Holsted was listed in stable condition at a Fort Smith hospital Monday. Deputies say he'll face charges once he is released from the hospital's care.
The AAA said the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in nearby Fort Smith on Monday was $3.81.
Labels: AR, residence burglary
Spartanburg County, South Carolina
From WYFF4 of May 28, 2008
Homeowner Wounds Burglary Suspect
A homeowner told deputies that when he saw a burglar breaking into his outbuilding Tuesday morning, he grabbed his shotgun and fired a couple rounds. Deputies said the wounded suspect was found a couple miles away.
Spartanburg sheriff’s Maj. Dan Johnson said the man lives on Bellew Carver Road off Blackstock Road. He said he saw the burglar trying to break into the building at about 6:30 a.m.
Johnson said the wounded suspect ran about two miles to a Chevron Gas Station on New Cut Road off Interstate 26, where deputies found him about 40 minutes later.
The man was transported to a hospital for treatment of superficial wounds.
Spartanburg School District 6 officials said that Arcadia and Fairforest Elementary schools and Fairforest Middle, were put on lockdown as a precaution as a precaution as deputies searched for the would-be robber, but officials stressed that students were never in danger.
Johnson said that there are charges pending in connection with the incident.
From GoUpstate.com of May 29, 2008
Go Upstate Police Blotter
On Wednesday at about 6:30 a.m. a 54-year-old Spartanburg man told officers he shot at a man attempting to steal from a building outside his home.
Andre Maurice Curenton, 17, of 425 King Court, Inman, was later charged with third- degree burglary.
The homeowner said a motion alarm from the building woke him up, and he saw a man inside the shop. He said he shot into the shop toward the ground, and Curenton came out with his hands up. The homeowner then shot at the man's legs.
Maj. Dan Johnson of the sheriff's office said Curenton was treated for minor injuries resulting from shotgun pellets.
Labels: residence burglary
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
From the Greenbay Press Gazette of May 28, 2008
Chased by armed homeowner, would-be thief drops plasma TV
A burglar stole a big-screen TV from a town of Sheboygan home this morning but abandoned the item while fleeing an armed homeowner, according to the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department.
The incident occurred about 3:30 a.m. at a home on Hunter’s Glen Drive, Capt. Dave Adams said.
According to Adams:
The homeowner's wife woke up when she heard the burglary and roused her husband, who armed himself with a handgun and went to investigate. The burglar or burglars were gone by the time the man reached the living room and discovered his 42-inch plasma TV was missing.
Deputies used a police dog to track the suspect south from the home. The TV was found nearby in a line of trees, but the dog lost the scent soon after.
Labels: residence burglary, WI
Witchita Falls, Texas
From KAUZ of May 23, 2008
Burglary Suspect Shot By Homeowner
Two Wichita Falls men are charged with burglary of building. One of those men was shot in the process of the alleged crime.
Police say 22-year-old Scott Alan Michael and 21-year-old Dustin Logan were caught trying to steal from a residence on Taft Boulevard about 2:30 yesterday morning. The homeowner fired at them and Michael was hit in the chest.
Michael made it to the Stripes Convenience Sstore at Kemp and Southwest Parkway, where the clerk called 911. He was taken to United Regional, treated, and released into police custody.
Officers say the men had stolen property in their vehicle from a garage on Devon Street. That's the crime they are charged with, but more charges are expected. No one is charged in the shooting as the case will be handed over to the Wichita County Grand Jury.
Labels: residence burglary, TX
Harrison Township, Ohio
From the Dayton Daily News of May 27, 2008
Intruder shot during robbery is a juvenile
Montgomery County — A 17-year-old boy shot during a failed robbery attempt is in stable condition and facing possible arrest by Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies.
The juvenile allegedly entered an apartment at 5121 Northcutt Place in Northland Village Apartment Complex at about 3:10 p.m. Monday, May 26, in an attempt to rob the place, according to sheriff's Capt. Jeff PaPanek.
The apartment is undergoing renovation, and a construction worker living in the building was asleep inside when the boy entered. When the man awoke, the juvenile brandished a gun and a struggle ensued.
The construction worker wrestled the gun away from the juvenile and then shot him in the upper chest, PaPanek said.
The juvenile fled the scene but was later picked up by Dayton police and transported to Miami Valley Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
Investigators are waiting until the boy recovers from his injuries enough to speak before pursuing any charges, sheriff's Chief Phil Plummer said.
The man in the apartment suffered a minor cut on his hand.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, minor offender, OH, residence burglary
Lexington, Kentucky
From WTVQ Channel 36 of May 27, 2008
Lexington Man Shoots at Burglar
A Lexington man woke up in his home overnight, to find a burglar sneaking through his home.
It happened around 1:30am this morning on Laredo Drive off Tates Creek Road. Lexington police say a man and his wife were at home in bed, when their dog started barking. The man got up to see what was going on and he found a burglar, standing in their kitchen.
Police say the man ran back into the bedroom and grabbed a gun. The man then began to chase the suspect out of his home. Police say as the burglar was running, he was dropping CD’s and other stolen items.
Investigators day the homeowner fired one shot, but did not it anyone.
K-9 units were brought in to search the area, but police say no arrests were made.
Police say it appears the man got into the home through an open window.
Labels: home invasion, residence burglary
Mount Vernon, Tennessee
From Knox News of May 23, 2008
Mount Vernon man shoots and kills would-be burglar
A Mount Vernon man shot and killed a would-be burglar when two men allegedly broke into his 517 Old State Road home about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Madisonville Detective Jennifer Bledsoe said.
Mark Fryer called 911 to say he had shot a burglar. When Monroe County sheriff's deputies arrived, they found 19-year-old Bristin Self dead from a 9 mm gunshot wound, according to Detective Travis Jones, who investigated the shooting.
Jones said Self was unarmed.
Bledsoe said Self and another man apparently borrowed a van from a friend and loaded a washer into the van before going back into the Fryer home.
Fryer gave authorities a description of a second alleged burglar, and officers began canvassing the area with a police dog.
They captured James Cheek, 31, who was charged with aggravated burglary. Bledsoe said Cheek admitted being involved in the burglary.
Fryer has been interviewed by Monroe County detectives and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent David Guy, and interviews of others connected with the case were ongoing Thursday night.
Bledsoe said any evidence and information gathered will be turned over to the district attorney's office.
Records indicate that, in 2005, Fryer held at bay with a pistol two men who were burglarizing his home.
Bledsoe said Fryer also filed a burglary report May 21 concerning items taken from the residence.
Labels: residence burglary, TN
Hampton Crossroads, Tennessee
From News Channel 5 of May 19, 2008
Homeowner Shoots and Kills IntruderFrom the Crossville Chronicle of May 21, 2008
A weekend home invasion has the TBI investigating the dramatic chain of events that led to the shooting of a would-be burglar.
The incident happened in the Hamptons Crossroads area in White County.
Police said would-be burglar, 32-year-old Brian Cook from Crossville, was interrupted by the homeowner.
The homeowner said he received a phone call from his daughter about a strange man in the neighborhood banging on windows.
The homeowner returned to find Cook coming out of his house. When the homeowner confronted Cook, the intruder reached for his gun, but the homeowner shot first - killing Cook.
The White County Sheriff said the homeowner did have a permit to carry a gun and was within his right to protect himself.
No word yet on whether charges will be filed.
Crossville man killed during burglary
A Crossville man was shot and killed by a homeowner last Thursday morning during an apparent burglary, The Expositor newspaper reported.
According to White County Sheriff Oddie Shoupe, Bryan Keith Cook, 32, of Crossville, was leaving from a home he had reportedly broken into when he came into contact with the homeowner, Keith Girdley, on the front porch.
The shooting occurred around 9:59 a.m. May 15.
"The guy was on the front porch coming out of the house with some stolen stuff, and Mr. Girdley was on the bottom step," said Shoupe.
The sheriff said Cook asked Girdley, “Can I help you?” and Girdley told him, "this is my house."
When confronted about what he was doing, Cook allegedly pulled a weapon from the back waistband of his pants. Girdley, who was legally armed with a Beretta 9mm handgun, reportedly told Cook several times, "Don’t do it."
According to Shoupe, when the homeowner saw the gun he fired, striking Cook multiple times.
The weapon Cook reportedly had possession of was a 38-caliber pistol, which had allegedly been stolen from the residence. Shoupe said Cook did not fire the stolen weapon, but it was loaded. Reportedly, Girdley fired approximately seven rounds toward the victim.
The TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) was called in to assist in the investigation.
Chief White County Deputy Tommy Simmons, detectives Chris Isom, John Ford and Ruben Hormilla, as well as Sgt. David Ward and Blaylock, gathered evidence and processed the scene. TBI agents on the scene were identified as Billy Miller and Dan Friel.
Shoupe said Cook had already piled several items on a chair near the front door when he was confronted by Girdley. Reportedly, Cook had also attempted to break into a neighbor’s house a short time before the shooting.
"There were actually two crime scenes we investigated," said Shoupe. "One was the attempted burglary, and the other was the burglary and shooting location."
Evidence gathered from Cook’s vehicle included a loaded pistol, an unloaded shotgun and several additional items that were reportedly stolen.
Shoupe said officers also found drugs, including marijuana and two spoons with drug residue, possibly meth or coke, and a sleeping bag in the truck.
Cook reportedly had several prior convictions of burglary and aggravated burglary in Cumberland County and he was under investigation in several other counties for burglary, said Shoupe.
Shoupe said at this time, no charges are pending against Girdley.
"He had a permit and was on his own property," said Shoupe. "He is an upstanding citizen of White County, and this has been very hard on him."
Labels: concealed carry permit, home invasion, residence burglary, TN
Des Moines, Iowa
From the May 14, 2008 Des Moines Register:
This was Randy Owens' situation Tuesday: He had a gun in his hand and a cane-wielding burglar cornered in his garage.
Now what?
He decided to do whatever he could to stall the man until Des Moines police arrived.
The burglar gambled that Owens, 42, wouldn't shoot him. And he was right. In the end, Owens watched the man walk into the early morning darkness and disappear.
"I didn't shoot him, because there was nothing in here that was worth a man's life," Owens said. "I really wasn't in fear for my life. I think he just wanted out, and I gave him a way out."Last fall, burglars took Owens' boat out of his backyard in the 1500 block of East 21st Street. They picked it up and passed it over a fence. So when a motion alarm sounded about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, Owens grabbed his handgun and went to the garage, where he discovered the door had been kicked in.
"I walked in real slow and easy," said Owens, a food service coordinator for the Iowa Department of Corrections in Newton. "I found him hiding in the corner under the workbench. He had my grinder all rolled up and my welder unplugged, and he was getting ready to go out the door with them."The burglar said he had a wife and two kids. He said didn't want to go to jail. He walked toward Owens.
"I do think that if I hadn't had the gun, he might have beaten the tar out of me with the cane," said Owens, who wore a brace on his injured arm later in the day.
"Stop right there. I've got a gun," Owens told him. Owens told the man to get on the floor.
"He took his cane and tried to hit me with it," Owens said. "I blocked it with my arm. I cocked my weapon, and he lunged at me and tried to take it from me. I shot at the furnace to let him know it was a real weapon."
The burglar managed to squeeze out of the crowded garage and vanish.
Sgt. Vince Valdez of the Des Moines Police Department said Owens "exercised unusual restraint after he'd been attacked with the cane. ... At that point he's being assaulted by a burglar."
Labels: IA, residence burglary
Las Vegas, Nevada
From Las Vegas Now of May 9, 2008
New Details in Deadly Home Burglary
Police are investigating a shooting at a Las Vegas home that left two people dead Thursday night. Police say a man told them that he and his wife came home and were met by a burglar in their house. According to officers, the burglar shot and killed the woman and the husband then shot and killed the burglar.
Some neighbors were crying as they learned of their neighbor's tragic death. As of Friday morning, the streets were still littered with bits of crime scene tape.
Neighbors were blocked out of their homes, and the neighborhood was on lock down for hours.
"We waited for about an hour before we could bring the car here," said Mort Arditti, a neighbor.
Police say the couple returned to their home on Friday night around 9 p.m. and surprised a burglar. Police say the burglar was someone the couple knew and had hired in the past to do work at the home.
The female victim, Sharon Randolph, had lived in the neighborhood for 12 years.
"I just saw her three days ago. Real nice lady. Said how nice the yard looked," said neighbor Robert Donat.
Donat says she asked why he does all his yard work himself. He said he didn't want strangers at his house, but he says Sharon was different.
"They bring a lot of strangers over there to do odd jobs for them. You are just asking for trouble. You don't know the people you are bringing into your house," he said.
According to police, a handyman the couple had hired broke into the house and was burglarizing it when they came home. Police say the suspect shot and killed the Randolph.
"Now she's gone overnight, just like that. And we were all home last night and we heard the helicopter and they were kicking people out of their houses around them. Just amazing," said Donat.
But neighbors say there might be more too it. Sharon's husband had died a few years back and she met a new man on the Internet who wasn't too popular with neighbors.
"A lot of fighting going on, her and her new husband. I guess she found him on the Internet and a lot of U-Haul trucks. She is always taking him back, so not a good thing," said Donat.
Police say that new husband struggled with the burglar and ended up shooting the man to death in the garage.
Labels: home invasion, NV, residence burglary
Dayton, Ohio
From WHIO of April 30, 2008
Suspected Burglar Shot By Home Owner
Police Dayton said a suspected home burglar was shot overnight by the homeowner.
The burglary happened around 11 p.m. Tuesday in the 1900 block of Emerson Avenue.
Sgt. Scott Lawson said, “At this time, it looks like an aggravated burglary and that the homeowner defended his home. But it is still being investigated.”
Officers said the suspect was hit in the neck by a bullet. He was taken to a local hospital and rushed into surgery.
At this time, the name and condition of the suspected burglary has not been released.
Labels: OH, residence burglary
San Antonio, Texas
From MySanAntionio of April 29, 2008
Homeowner shoots, kills burglary suspect
Police said a homeowner shot and killed a burglary suspect inside a Northeast Side home this morning.
The 18-year-old man male suspect was shot about 2:30 a.m. in the 5800 block of Midcrown after a male homeowner noticed the youth inside the man's house.
The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released this morning.
From the Houston Chronicle of April 30, 2008
One night after burglary, San Antonio man kills intruder
After his home was burglarized earlier this week, Thomas Thames decided to arm himself in case the intruder returned, police say.
The following night, he heard another noise at his home in the 5800 block of East Midcrown, so Thames, 39, walked downstairs. It was about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday when he once again saw a young man in his kitchen. The back door was open.
This time, Thames fired a gun at the man, who ran into the backyard, where Thames shot at him again, police said.
Ronnie Scarborough, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene.
San Antonio police spokesman Sgt. Gabe Trevino said the resident had pulled the man into his house and waited for police to arrive.
Police said the man killed at Thames' Northeast Side home Tuesday matched the description of a burglary suspect the resident said he chased from the home the night before.
Police said Tuesday that Thames likely won't be charged with a crime because Texas law gives homeowners latitude in protecting their property and themselves.
"A property owner, by Texas law, has the right to prevent the consequences of a burglary by utilizing deadly force if necessary," Trevino said.
More
Labels: residence burglary, TX
Dallas, Texas
From April 18, 2008 Fox News channel 4:
An Oak Cliff homeowner told police that he was awakened around 1:30 Friday morning by the sound of breaking glass.
The man grabbed a handgun and discovered two men inside his home in the 6100 block of Teague Drive, according to police.
One of the men was still holding a board that they had used to break the window.
Police said the homeowner started shooting and hit one of the suspects in the upper chest and jaw. That suspect is in critical condition at Baylor Hospital.
The other burglar ran from the home and has not been found.
The case will be referred to a Grand Jury, but investigators said the homeowner appeared to be justified in protecting his life and property.
Labels: residence burglary, TX
Blue Lake, California
From the Eureka Reporter of March 27, 2008
Neighbor apprehends burglar after pursuit
Deputies from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man yesterday afternoon after neighbors in Blue Lake allegedly caught him during a home burglary, a news release stated.
At about 2:45 p.m. a woman reported to the Sheriff’s Office that she saw a man enter her next-door neighbor’s residence on the 400 block of Chartin Way.
The woman told the Sheriff’s Emergency Dispatchers that her son, Steven Wilson, 49, armed with a handgun, had attempted to apprehend the suspect inside the residence and was now chasing him toward Rancheria Road.
Deputies arrived a few minutes later and found Wilson detaining Ryan Bush, 21 of Eureka. Further investigation revealed that the suspect had allegedly forcibly entered the locked residence on Chartin Way and removed several items. There was also significant vandalism inside the residence, including broken doors, light fixtures, furniture, and scratched wood floors.
When Wilson confronted him, the suspect fled from the house. Wilson fired a single “warning shot” and told the suspect to freeze, but he continued to run.
The suspect ran through backyards and private driveways until Wilson was able to catch and detain him near Rancheria Road.
Bush was treated at a local hospital for a laceration he sustained either during the burglary or the pursuit. He also had a previous injury that required medical attention.
Bush was then transported to the Humboldt County jail and booked for burglary. His bail was set at $50,000 and he is expected to be arraigned Friday.
Labels: CA, residence burglary
Miami-Dade County, Florida
From Local10 of March 25, 2008
Police: Intruder Shot, Killed In Break-In
A resident might have shot and killed one of two intruders who tried to break into his southwest Miami-Dade County home early Tuesday morning, police said.
The fatal shooting occurred at about 2 a.m. outside 5851 SW 118th Ave.
Miami-Dade police said it appeared two men tried to burglarize the home when the resident fought with them outside and fatally shot one of them. The second intruder fled the scene but was later found west of 118th Avenue, police said. He was detained and is being questioned by police.
Police were also questioning the resident of the home, but it was too early to determine exactly what happened, Miami-Dade police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta said.
The resident's family said he was OK and that there had been intruders at the home before.
Labels: FL, residence burglary
Charlotte, North Carolina
From the March 8, 2008 Charlotte Observer:
A Charlotte man who police say was trying to break into a Shamrock Drive apartment was shot and critically injured by a person who lived there.
Rontrey Eric Digsby was at Carolinas Medical Center Saturday in critical/stable condition Saturday, according to police. He is charged with first-degree burglary for trying to break into the apartment on Shamrock Drive, near the Charlotte Museum of History.
Police have released the name of the man who pulled the trigger, but the Observer didn't publish his name because he has not been charged with a crime.
According to jail records, Digsby's last known address was on Treetop Court in east Charlotte. He has an extensive criminal record dating back to 2003, when he was 17, according to a search of court records.
Labels: NC, residence burglary
Gaston, North Carolina
From the Daily Herald of March 1, 2008
Wounded man shoots intruder
A Gaston man shot and killed one of two intruders he discovered in his house Thursday night, Northampton County Sheriff Wardie Vincent said this morning.
Sheriff's office investigators are still looking into the shooting, in which 20-year-old Walter Daniels of Gaston died.
Vincent declined to discuss whether investigators are looking into the possibility of self-defense on the part of Monte Arrington, 21, who fired the shot during a struggle with Daniels.
Vincent said the fatal shooting occurred around 10 p.m., at Arrington's residence at 544 N.C. Highway 48, which is just inside the town limits of Gaston.
Arrington and his girlfriend were returning to the residence and were confronted by two men as they went in the home.
The best information investigators have thus far is that Daniels was armed and drew the weapon. That's when a struggle between Arrington and Daniels began. During the struggle, Arrington was stabbed but managed to grab the gun and shoot Daniels in the upper chest. It is believed Daniels died immediately, the sheriff said.
Arrington was transported to Halifax Regional Medical Center in Roanoke Rapids and then airlifted to Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville. His condition was not known.
Vincent said authorities continue to look for the other man in the house, who fled. The sheriff declined to disclose the man's name.
“The best we can understand is they broke in to burglarize the residence,” he said.
The State Bureau of Investigation was called in for assistance and the Gaston and Garysburg police departments helped with processing the crime scene.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, NC, residence burglary
Dallas, Texas
From CBS11 of February 27, 2008
Burglary Suspect Shot Dead In East Oak Cliff
A recent rash of burglaries in the east Oak Cliff area of Dallas may be over after a suspect was shot dead on Wednesday morning.
The incident started Tuesday night, when someone threw a brick through the window of a home, located in the 2200 block of Scotland Drive in the east Oak Cliff area of Dallas. The home belongs to an elderly father by the name of Otis Fagan Sr.
According to Fagan Sr., he's been burglarized six times in the last six months. His son, Otis Fagan Jr., had come over on Tuesday to help board up the window. He drove past the house again several times Tuesday night to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.
While driving past the house at about 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, Fagan Jr. noticed a beam of light coming from the backyard. He stopped to check things out and discovered a man inside the backyard tool shed.
Fagan Jr. confronted 43-year-old Gerald Foley, the suspected burglar, with a gun. Police say Foley had $2,000 worth of Fagan's property. According to police, the suspect then attacked Fagan Jr., who fired off possibly four bullets.
After the encounter, the suspect fled the scene down an alleyway and fell dead into Bakari Thomas' yard, a neighbor on Locust Street.
"It's very scary," said Thomas. There's only so much you can do when you got a house, and you try to be safe in your own home."
CBS 11 News spoke with the elderly father on Wednesday afternoon. He said that he did not see anything, but heard noises outside in the moments just before the shooting. Fagan Sr. also said that he had triggered his home security alarm in hopes of scaring away the suspected burglar, but that it did not work.
According to his sister, Fagan Jr. was licensed to carry the gun. Attempts to speak with Fagan Jr. were not successful. He rushed inside the home before issuing a comment.
"He's under a lot of stress and inner pain associated with what all took place, but hopefully the Lord will see us all through," said Fagan Sr.
Both generations of Fagans were taken to police headquarters on Wednesday for questioning. Police have said that this appears to be a legal shooting, but are continuing to investigate the case. In the meantime, police have not charged anyone with a crime, but they will refer the incident to a grand jury, as is routine.
"What the individual did – he was protecting his parents property – was absolutely not a crime," said Dallas Police Lt. Craig Miller.
Labels: concealed carry permit, residence burglary, TX
Jacksonville, Florida
From the February 21, 2008 Jacksonville, Florida Times-Union:
– A suspected burglar who was shot in the hand Tuesday was arrested on Wednesday. Police said a man broke into an apartment in the 700 block of Shearer Avenue, near Interstate 10 and Roosevelt Boulevard. The victim, a 65-year-old man, said he grabbed a revolver near him and fired once at the man. Police said 31-year-old Joseph Brown, who matched the suspect description, was found at Baptist Medical Center being treated for a gunshot wound and was arrested.
Labels: FL, residence burglary, senior
Yakima, Washington
From February 18, 2008 KIMA channel 29:
The sheriff's office now says Marcus Bradford would still be alive if he and two others didn't go into the Terrace Heights home with guns last week.
Investigators think the trio intended to steal drugs and money.
It's not to say the guy living at the house, Luis Acevedo, is off the hook.
But the sheriff's office believes he was just protecting his friend and baby last Thursday morning... When Bradford, Khiry Jackson and Lawrence Adams showed up at the door.
Investigators say Acevedo admitted he used to deal drugs with the suspects, but swears that stopped 8 or 9 months ago.
Jackson and Adams now have murder charges thrown on their drug and gun charges.
...
Campbell says it's possible another person's involved.
Cops are looking into it--as well as Acevedo's past.
But they say a pair of gloves found on the victim and in the getaway car indicate this was a burglary.
Labels: residence burglary, WA
Columbia County, South Carolina
From February 19, 2008 WJBF:
Columbia County, GA -- There is a $1,000 reward offered for the capture of a burglary suspect in Columbia County.
That reward is being offered by the West Lake Homeowners Association.
Investigators say the thief was confronted by a homeowner. When the thief pulled a gun, the homeowner shot at him. The thief then ran off.
Investigators say the suspect's gun was stolen from another car in the subdivision.
Labels: residence burglary, SC
Dallas, Texas
From MyFoxDFW of February 14, 2008
One Arrested In Home Burglary
Dallas police arrested one person in connection with a home burglary, but not at the crime location. In fact, no one was inside the home that SWAT police surrounded for hours Thursday afternoon.
It all started around 3 p.m. when a homeowner interrupted a burglary in progress in the 2800 block of W. 8th Street near Westmoreland Avenue. A neighbor had called him at work and told him three people were breaking into his house.
The armed homeowner, who says he has several other weapons and lots of ammunition at the house, arrived with his own weapon drawn and confronted the three intruders.
"He had a gun with him and fired a couple of rounds and he believes he struck one of them," said Sr. Cpl. Geraldo Monreal of the Dallas Police Department. "Two of the suspects fled. The third suspect ran back inside the house where he has barricaded himself inside the residence."
Police threw tear gas into the home, but later discovered it to be empty. They later found one person with gunshot wounds at Parkland Hospital and arrested him in connection with this crime. Two others are still on the run.
Labels: residence burglary, TX
Burien, Washington
From KOMO of February 7, 2008
Would-be teen burglars arrested in Burien
Four would-be teenage burglars had a bad day on Thursday.
First, the owner of the house they were burglarizing came home and chased them out of his house at gunpoint. Then two of the burglars were caught by police within minutes. Finally, the last two were caught after the area was flooded with King County sheriff's deputies, Burien officers and a police chopper.
The incident began when a man returned to his home in the 16400 block of Ambaum Boulevard South after walking his dog and found a burglar in his kitchen.
As the suspect ran for the front door, he was joined by his three other suspects coming from various areas of the house. The homeowner grabbed his handgun and gave chase.
A passer-by saw the fleeing suspects and pointed out the direction they fled to the homeowner and arriving deputies. Plain-clothes detectives coming into the area spotted two of the four and they were promptly arrested.
During the search for the remaining suspects, the Sheriff's Office received a call from a man in Mount Vernon who said his teenage son had just called him and breathlessly related: "The cops are looking for me ... and they've got a helicopter."
Finally, workers at a nearby townhouse spotted the last two suspects skulking along a fence line. Deputies converged and took them into custody without incident.
The suspects, ages 14, 14, 16, and 17, were from Burien, Mill Creek, and Seattle. All were booked into the Youth Service Center for investigation of burglary.
Labels: minor offender, residence burglary, WA
Largo, Florida
From Tampa Bay Online of February 9, 2008
Victim Shoots Getaway Vehicle
A man fired a gun Wednesday at the getaway vehicle of a burglar who had just broken into his home, and he managed to hit a tire, police said. Authorities say they identified and charged the burglar.
Now they are looking for the vehicle, described as a dark blue GMC Envoy, Lt. Mike Loux said.
The burglary victim and his wife arrived home in the 1500 block of North Peaceful Lane and spotted a sport utility vehicle in their driveway, Loux said.
The wife looked into the unfamiliar vehicle to see whether anyone was inside, Loux said. Nobody was.
The husband thought something was wrong and retrieved a .357-caliber firearm from his glove box, Loux said. The man is licensed to carry a concealed firearm.
The husband opened the garage door and at about the same time noticed someone coming from a side yard toward the driveway, Loux said.
The person hopped into the Envoy and began to back out of the driveway, Loux said. The couple's car was behind the Envoy, and the husband thought the Envoy was going to hit him, his wife or their car, Loux said.
The husband shot twice at the driver's side front tire as the Envoy sped away. Investigators determined the driver of the Envoy had burglarized the couple's home, Loux said.
On Thursday, Largo authorities learned of an arrest by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. The man, identified by Largo police as Robert Jacobs, 48, told authorities he burglarized the home and was unaware anyone had fired at the Envoy, Loux said.
Authorities, who did not identify the couple, are still looking for the Envoy. Its Florida license plate number is X835WY.
Detectives also are trying to determine whether Jacobs committed any other burglaries, Loux said.
Labels: concealed carry permit, FL, residence burglary
Kansas City, Missouri
From KCTV5 of January 31, 2008
Burglar Shot In Struggle With Resident
A man who lives at a house on East 79th Street came home and saw three men in his home stealing his belongings, Kansas City police said.
He grabbed one of them, who had a gun, and during the struggle, shots were fired.
All three of the men ran away, but one of them was hit.
He got as far as a nearby corner, where he ran into a restaurant and asked for help.
Adrian Gardner, an employee, called 911 and then the shot man passed out on the floor.
Medics and police arrived, and the man was taken to a hospital by ambulance.
Police were still looking for the other two men.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, residence burglary, VA
Memphis, Tennessee
From MyEyewitnessNews of January 24, 2008
Homeowner Shoots and Kills Burglar
A burglar, caught redhanded breaking into man's garage, was shot and killed Thursday, January 24, 2008.
The incident happened around 2:00 a.m. in the 800 block of Avalon, near Henry Street. Police say the homeowner heard a noise in his garage, and when he confronted the intruder, the man tried to attack. Police say the burglar went after the homeowner with a weedwacker, and the homeowner shot him.
Neighbors in the area say they have no sympathy for the burglar.
"You don't go around stealing and robbing from people that have worked hard for their belongings. You just don't do it," said Marilynn Bridgeforth, a neighbor of the homeowner.
Bridgeforth says she is not surprised to hear about the intrusion. She says she was robbed in her driveway in December.
"I was held at gunpoint in my driveway and my house has been broken into twice."
Police say at this point, the homeowner is not facing any charges because it appears he shot the burglar in self defense. Eyewitness News Everywhere tried to talk to the homeowner, but he did not want to talk about the incident.
Eyewitness News Everywhere crimetracked the area around the 800 block of Avalon and found there have been 18 home burglaries reported to police in the past month. There have also been 55 assaults, 24 car burglaries, and 12 robberies in that 38107 zip code.
Further links:
Citizens Shoot Back When Confronted by Robbers
Labels: home invasion, residence burglary, TN
Fountain, Colorado
From the Denver Channel of January 22, 2008
Teen Says He Didn't Hesitate To Shoot Armed Robbers
A Fountain teenager who woke up to the sounds of robbers in his home said that he didn't hesitate to shoot the men before they took off with his flat screen television.
Fountain police spokesman Sgt. Jess Freeman said the suspects are currently hospitalized for treatment of gunshot wounds.
Their names have not been released.
Cody Buckler, 19, said he was asleep at about 11 p.m. Sunday when he heard unfamiliar voices in the living room.
He told authorities he overheard someone tell a child in the house that they were a police officer, so Buckler crept down the hall and saw two men who were wearing masks, hats and gloves.
Buckler then went back to his bedroom, grabbed a 12-gauge shotgun and shot one of the men as the man carried out Buckler's flat-screen TV. He then shot the second man as the man came up the stairs toward him.
Both men escaped but were apprehended at a nearby hospital by police. They both had semiautomatic handguns, according to police.
Buckler's girlfriend, her young daughter and two other children live in the home.
Police said they don't plan to file charges against Buckler at this point because the shooting appears to be covered by Colorado's "Make My Day" law, which allows a homeowner to use deadly force if they believe lives are in danger.
Labels: CO, residence burglary
