Bakersfield, California

From Bakersfield.com of March 3, 2010

Man holds suspected burglar at gunpoint until police arrive

He’s 70 years old, and his health isn’t what it used to be, but Raymond Michel is not someone who should be taken lightly.

The south Bakersfield resident shot at a suspected burglar in his house Wednesday afternoon and held the man at gunpoint until police arrived. The suspect, identified by police as John Jenaro Garner, tried to get up twice, but Michel warned him to stay down.

“I told my wife to call the cops because (the burglar) was staying here one way or another,” Michel said.

Bakersfield police Lt. Andrew Garner, no relation to the supsect, confirmed that Raymond Michel was the man who shot at the suspect.

Michel and his wife, Dawn, had returned home on Ivan Avenue about 1 p.m. after taking their grandson to a doctor’s appointment. The 9-year-old grandson noticed a light on in a downstairs bedroom and asked his grandmother if she had left it on.

Dawn Michel said she looked in the room and noticed some items weren’t where they were supposed to be. Then she and her grandson went outside and saw a garbage bag on the ground, along with a window screen that had been knocked out of a second-floor window. Jewelry and money were in the bag.

Dawn Michel told her husband someone had been in the house. Raymond Michel said he armed himself with a handgun and walked upstairs.

Items from the bedroom closet were strewn about the floor, and Raymond Michel noticed that the bathroom door was almost completely closed. He and his wife always keep that door open.

He kicked the door, and it stopped partway as it struck the intruder, Raymond Michel said. The suspect stepped from behind the door and leveled a rifle at the homeowner, he said.

Raymond Michel, who said he was holding his handgun at waist level, pulled the trigger. The bullet went through the door, shattered the upper left corner of the mirror and entered the wall.

The suspect dropped to the floor, and Raymond Michel at first thought he had hit him. But then the intruder tried to get up, Raymond Michel said.

Raymond Michel said he told him to stay down and kept the gun pointed at him. His wife called 911.

The dispatcher asked Dawn Michel, who was still downstairs, if she could go upstairs and make sure her husband was all right, Dawn Michel said. But she had two grandchildren in the house who she needed to keep safe, and she wasn’t going anywhere until police arrived.

“I said ‘Lady, I’m not going upstairs. You’ve got to be kidding,’” Dawn Michel said.

Police soon arrived and took John Garner into custody. Police said John Garner had drugs in his possession and was wanted on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant.

The rifle the suspect had armed himself with was taken from a closet in the house, Raymond Michel said.

Raymond Michel, a retired electrician, was calm as he told his story Wednesday evening, and he said he didn’t seem to be nervous or scared when he confronted the intruder.

Dawn Michel, however, said she was on edge from the ordeal.

“I haven’t eaten yet,” she said.

Thanks to Micah and the folks at CalCCW.com for the tip!

Bridgeport, Washington

From the Wenatchee World of February 13, 2010

House-sitter shoots at intruder, misses

A Douglas County man who was watching a home for a friend shot at an intruder in the home as he fled but missed, authorities said.

The man arrived at the house, southeast of Bridgeport, to find the door open and burglars inside, said Douglas County Sheriff Harvey Gjesdal.

The home is in the 3400 block of Highway 172, about one mile west of Sims Corner.

Gjesdal said the man saw a suspect dressed in black and wearing a ski mask, and went to his pickup to retrieve a 9 mm pistol, he said.

When he returned he heard glass breaking and believes he saw the man in black with something in his hand as he fled, the sheriff said. The man told police he fired twice, but missed.

When deputies arrived, they searched the home and found a 20-year-old Bridgeport man hiding in the bathroom. He had injuries from a saw he pulled on top of himself when the other suspect fled, he said. He was treated by an ambulance crew, the sheriff said.

Deputies used dogs and night-vision optics to search the area, but were unable to locate the man who fled.

Gjesdal said an investigation led to two other Bridgeport males, one 20 and one 17, who were also arrested as suspects in the burglary.

Authorities have identified a 23-year-old Bridgeport man they believe to be the man who fled, and they are searching for him, the sheriff said.

He said there’s nothing to suggest the man who fired acted inappropriately.

Modesto, California

From the Modesto Bee of February 9, 2010

Modesto woman fires shot at suspected burglar, who flees

A Modesto woman walked into her home this morning to find a suspected burglar and fired her gun at him before he fled the scene, authorities said.

Modesto police received a call at 11:21 a.m. of a possible burglary in process on Kingfield Drive, which is northeast of the intersection of East Orangeburg and Sunrise avenues.

“A female in her 40s came home to her residence and interrupted a burglary in process,” said Sgt. Rick Armendariz, a police spokesman. “She was able to arm herself and when she confronted the suspect, she feared for her safety.”

Armendariz said she fired one shot, and there was no indication the suspect was hit.

He then fled the scene.

The suspect was described as white, in his 20s with long blond hair, a blue hoodie, blue jeans and carrying a duffle bag.

Thanks to Walter for the tip!

Winter Haven, Florida

From The Ledger of February 1, 2010

70-Year-Old Winter Haven Man Shoots Would-be Thieves

Two would-be thieves didn’t count on a motion alarm and a gun-toting 70-year-old Winter Haven man when they tried to steal the batteries from his golf cart, according to Polk County Sheriff’s Office reports.

Robert Rowley, of 28 Henry Drive in Winter Haven, awoke to the sound of a motion sensor alarm about 2:15 a.m. Monday.

When the alarm sounded, he grabbed his handgun and flashlight to investigate, sheriff’s reports said.

As he walked outside his home, he saw two men, who investigators said were trying to cut the cables to the battery packs on Rowley’s golf cart.

When he challenged them, one of the men began to walk in Rowley’s direction, he told investigators he tried to scare the men away by firing his gun.

Rowley fired three shots – once in the air, another at the ground and a third at the men’s truck as they tried to quickly get away.

Deputies were later called to Winter Haven Hospital for two men who showed up with gun shot wounds, reports said.

After talking to the men and to Rowley, deputies charged Matthew Alan Clinage, 20, and Christopher Polson, 21, with grand theft and burglary of an occupied residence, reports said.

Clinage was also charged with violation of community control for a previous conviction of grand theft of a firearm.

Rowley told deputies he didn’t realize his shots had struck either man.

Clinage was struck in the leg and Polson in the head and neck area.

Clinage was treated and taken to the Polk County Jail, while Polson was taken to Tampa General Hospital where he remained in stable condition. He will be booked into the jail later, officials said.

Manvel, Texas

From December 11, 2009 Brazoria County, Texas The Facts:

MANVEL — Gerald Yoakum said he was protecting his family when he fired two shots at a man police said was a would-be burglar, but he doesn’t feel very heroic.

“I’m having a real problem with it,” said Yoakum, a Manvel attorney who says he is a Christian. “I never thought I would have to shoot at somebody.”

At about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Yoakum saw the shadow of a hooded figure pass outside his bedroom window. His 17-year-old daughter had just gone outside to the guest house to play video games and Yoakum knew there wasn’t supposed to be anyone else there.

He grabbed a .38 caliber revolver and took it to the garage door inside the home, in the kitchen, and placed the gun on a counter before going into the garage. The front garage door was closed but a back door was open, he said.

…

The suspect, Christopher Hernandez, 18, had a knife, Yoakum said. At some point in the interaction, Baker said Hernandez moved toward the door where Yoakum was, and Yoakum retrieved his pistol.

“My first thought was, ‘How many of them are there?,’” Yoakum said. “I see he’s backing out and see he has a chrome knife on his side. I shouted at him to stop. I didn’t want my daughter walking out of the guest house and getting stabbed or becoming a hostage.”

Yoakum said he saw Hernandez reach toward the knife, which was partially hidden inside the pocket of his jeans.

“I wasn’t going to wait until he was on top of me,” Yoakum said. The commotion brought Yoakum’s 5-year-old son to the garage door.

“Everything happened so fast,” Yoakum said. “I fired twice. I aimed low. I didn’t want that knife to end up in my chest.”

Hernandez was hit once in the left shin. He was taken by ambulance to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston in good condition, Baker said.

“I was just glad he wasn’t dead,” said Yoakum, who is trained to use firearms and has a concealed-carry license. “I didn’t want to take anybody’s life. I’ve often said I pray I’ll never have to use the weapon I carry. I talked to the kid while he was laying there. I asked him why he had the knife. He said I could take it.”

Palm Bay, Florida

From December 2, 2009 WFTV channel 9:

PALM BAY, Fla. — Some accused teen burglars are lucky to be alive, police say, after they broke into a Brevard County house whose homeowner had guns. Investigators say they are working to find out if the teenagers are responsible for any of the dozens of home break-ins plaguing Palm Bay in the past few weeks.

The homeowner told Eyewitness News the suspects are his son’s friends.

Officers said the suspects broke into the house on Sanger Street in Palm Bay (see map) with a neighbor sitting right outside watching their every move. Homeowner Rodney Halfhide says he was taking a nap in his bedroom when he got the rude awakening around 10:00am Wednesday morning.

“The screen popped out then I heard the blinds move and that was it, she was inside the house. I was like, ‘What?’” he described.

Halfhide immediately grabbed his handgun next to his bed and chased the girl out the back door of his house. Then, Halfhide says, she and another teenager ran down the street. Halfhide said he knew he was within his right to shoot, but didn’t.

“The gun scared them away and they ran. They ran fast,” he said.

Officers in the area immediately recognized the description of the pair as two teenagers recently suspended from Bayside High School. Whell Clerisier and Laquarious Dorsey were found at a house around the block and arrested.

Sorrento, Florida

From the November 19, 2009 Orlando Sentinel:

SORRENTO – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the fatal shooting of a suspected burglar by a homeowner.

The man killed Thursday was identified as Brett Lee Canada, 23, of Mount Plymouth, according to sheriff’s Sgt. John Herrell. Canada’s next of kin has been identified, Herrell said.

He said the shooting occurred soon after 3:30 a.m. on property located at 25130 Spring Hill Ave. The location is south of State Road 46 in the Sorrento area.

The property owner, Shane Biel, awoke to his alarm sounding. He looked outside and spotted a silhouette figure out by his lawn equipment trailer, Herrell said. Biel had been the victim of prior lawn-equipment theft, he said. And there have been other equipment thefts in the area recently.

The suspect had not entered the enclosed equipment trailer but was inside a fenced area.

Biel told another family member to call 911 and then he went outside to confront the suspect with his handgun. Biel told authorities that Canada moved toward him in “an aggressive manner,” and that’s when he opened fire out of fear for his safety, Herrell said.

Biel’s account appears to be consistent with investigators’ findings at the scene. Herrell said the Sheriff’s Office was familiar with Canada from earlier problems. He was wearing a black “hoodie” and had gloves when he was found. And investigators found bolt cutters at the scene that did not belong to Biel.

Golden, Colorado

From the November 16, 2009 Denver Post:

A homeowner in Golden held a burglary suspect in stolen boxer shorts at gunpoint last week, police said today.

The homeowner, who was not named by police, said he came home at 5 p.m. on Nov. 9 and found Timothy P. Gonzales, 24, of Golden in his home wearing only the homeowner’s underwear.

The homeowner said when he arrived at his house in the 1200 block of Mesa Court he found a white Lexus parked in his garage and items in his home that were out of place.

He fetched his pistol from a bedroom and called out, police said. Gonzales answered, he told police. The man confronted Gonzales and ordered him to leave the house.

Gonzales allegedly argued that the pistol was not real and “moved aggressively” toward the homeowner, who fired a warning shot, police said. When police arrived the homeowner was still holding Gonzales at gunpoint.

Police said investigators think Gonzales had been in the home most of the day. He showered, did laundry and put food he bought in the refrigerator, police said in a statement.

The home is for sale, and Gonzales pretended to be the home owner when two real estate agents brought by clients who wanted to look at the home, police said.

Police also said they found materials used to make methamphetamine on a work bench in the garage.

Gonzales remains in the Jefferson County Detention Center under $50,000 bond. The charges against him include burglary, menacing, possession of burglary tools, possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.

Public records show Gonzales has been arrested several times before on drug, burglary, domestic violence and other charges.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.”

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.

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.