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Gun in hand, West Virginia grandmother scares-off intruder: 'you're gonna die'
One grandmother in West Virginia wasn't afraid to fend off a would-be intruder who she says was trying to pry open her bedroom window on Christmas Eve morning.
According to WSAZ in West Virginia, Yvonda "Bonnie" Gatens awoke to the sound of someone trying to enter her bedroom window. Upon hearing the noise, Gatens told WSAZ she called 911 and grabbed her gun telling the intruder, "you're going to die."
Gatens says the man fell over to the side of the window and disappeared from view. When deputies responded they were unable to find the person.
Gatens had a warning of sorts for anyone else thinking of trying to break into her home, "If you come in here, it's going to be you or me, and I'll see to it that it won't be me."
Source: KATC.COM
Woman fatally shoots man who broke into her home, police say
A woman shot and killed a would-be burglar early New Year's Day after the man allegedly broke into her apartment while she was sleeping, Houston police said.
The woman awoke in her bedroom at the Mirabella Apartment to the sound of broken glass, according to the Houston Police Department. She looked up, and a man was standing in her bedroom, she told police.
He came toward her bed, and that's when police say she grabbed the pistol she kept near her and fatally shot him.
She had told the police she had seen the man walking around the apartment complex before.
The woman has not been charged in the unidentified man's death, and police say they will refer the case to a Harris County grand jury.
By Meagan Flynn, Houston Chronicle
Resident surprises 2 burglars on Jacksonville’s Westside; 1 dead, another sought
By Dan Scanlan
A man surprised two burglars inside his home in the 6000 block of Park Street and shot at least one of them who died, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
The Westide resident and Sheriff’s Office both received calls from a security company about 11:40 a.m. that an alarm had been triggered inside the home just west of Ellis Road, Sgt. Steve Rudlaff said. The resident got to his home first and found two men inside.
During the confrontation, the resident shot one of the suspects, the sergeant said. The second intruder left on foot. The men apparently came to the home in a silver four-door sedan, parking it in the carport. The man who was shot was found inside that car. He is believed to be 20 to 30 years old and apparently made it to the car before dying, Rudlaff said.
The other man appeared to be in his 20s and was wearing a blue hoodie and gloves. Police were searching for him with a K-9 officer, helicopter unit and patrol cars, the sergeant said.
Police did not know if the resident was licensed to carry a handgun or how many times the suspect was shot.
TPD: Homeowner shoots, kills intruder in midtown Tulsa
by Megan Bell & Ethan Hutchins
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) -- A south Tulsa man had to make a quick decision after a man broke into his home this morning.
Charles Sweeney says he was simply defending his home. He’s had to do so before, and he won't hesitate to do it again.
“There was a big commotion in the bathroom, and I was like, 'someone is breaking in,'" said Sweeney.
It was a frightening sound for anyone to wake up to, but not when you're Charles Sweeney.
“I only had to wait three or four seconds for him to come into view, and I shot him," said Sweeney, with his 9 millimeter pistol he keeps by his bed.
Shooting the intruder, identified as Donald Stovall, a second time when he turned to run.
“He just said, 'I'm sorry; I'm sorry; I'm sorry,' and retreated to the bathroom and collapsed," said Sweeney.
Tulsa police showed up soon after to the home off South Columbia Avenue.
Detectives say Stovall died inside the home.
“The guy was breaking into his house; he obviously wasn’t invited. You never know what someone is doing if they’re breaking into your home," said Sergeant Brandon Watkins.
Which is why Watkins says Sweeney was within his right to defend himself.
“If someone breaks into your home, you can assume they're up to no good," said Watkins.
“I didn’t know if he had a gun. I didn’t know if he had some other sort of weapon. I didn’t know what his true intentions were; I'm not a psychic," said Sweeney, just like an incident five years ago.
When he says he shot an intruder six times after breaking in.
“He spent 11 days in St. John, and two years in prison," said Sweeney.
As for today, police questioned Sweeney downtown before releasing him.
“They told me I was going home after the interview, and I did," said Sweeney.
Living at the home for more than 60 years, he's had to defend it twice.
“He was here for evil intentions, and I put a stop to that," said Sweeney.
Neighbors tell us the home has been rundown for years; some even believed it was vacant.
Sweeney simply says he’s been sick lately and hasn’t been able to keep it up.
Man dressed as woman tried to rob Columbia store, gunfight ensued with clerk, police say
Georgetown police say a man dressed as a woman and wearing a wig tried to rob the Boost Mobile on Bush River Road at gunpoint Friday night. The clerk then pulled out handgun, and shot the suspect.
Author: Amanda Hurley
Georgetown, SC (WLTX) - A carjacking in Georgetown led to an attempted armed robbery and shootout between a suspect and store clerk in Columbia Friday night.
A man dressed as a woman and wearing a wig tried to rob the Boost Mobile on Bush River Road at gunpoint. The clerk then pulled out handgun, and shot the suspect, according to a Facebook post from the Georgetown Police Department.
A gunfight ensued until the suspect fled the scene in a black Nissan Maxima. The suspect, later identified as Demetrius Lamar Jackson, drove to a Sunoco gas station where a woman picked him and brought him to Palmetto Health Richland. Jackson was treated for gunshot wounds to the stomach, and is in stable condition.
The woman, identified as Nautica Morgan, was driving a 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe that was reportedly stolen from a Walgreens in Georgetown earlier that night. The carjacking victim says Morgan presented a handgun, demanding she get out of the car.
Both cars were recovered by the Richland County Sheriff's Department. Carjacking warrants are said to be obtained for both suspects in Georgetown, but the investigation is ongoing.
Man won’t be charged after killing alleged carjacker in Lake Park while 5-year-old sat in back seat
By Jorge Milian - Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
No charges will be filed against a man who shot and killed an alleged carjacker Friday in Lake Park, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
An investigation showed that Terrence Wilson Jr., 22, was shot to death by the unidentified man after he attempted to carjack a vehicle with the man’s 5-year-old daughter sitting in the back seat.
The shooting took place at 10th Street and Greenbrier Drive, a few blocks north of Lake Park’s downtown Park Avenue strip.
The man told homicide investigators he left the car running and went inside a barber shop to pick up his 12-year-old son.
Wilson allegedly opened the driver’s side door, jumped in and attempted to drive away. The father yelled at Wilson to stop then fired his weapon “in fear of his daughter’s safety,” the sheriff’s office said.
The man, who PBSO said has a concealed weapons permit, managed to get into the car and steer it to a stop.
The 5-year-old girl was not injured.
Wilson was a graduate of Riviera Beach Preparatory Academy and worked at a local fast-food restaurant to support a family that included a 1-year-old son, according to a family friend.
Court records show that Wilson has been arrested twice in Palm Beach County since February 2016. He was found guilty of burglary in May 2016 after breaking into a car in suburban Boca Raton.
Wilson, a resident of Riviera Beach, was sentenced to 180 days in jail.
Wilson was also arrested in November 2016 after he allegedly failed to show up for a court date for driving without a license.
Man who caused Greyhound bus crash near Fountain stopped by passerby with gun
By Blair Miller
FOUNTAIN, Colo. – Police say the man who threatened Greyhound bus passengers and its driver, which led to a crash near Fountain Monday evening, was held at gunpoint by a passerby until police arrived to the scene.
Edmundo Arellanes-Audelo, 47, faces felony criminal mischief, felony menacing, hindering public transportation, assault and reckless endangerment charges after the incident, which happened around 6:30 p.m. Monday.
Arellanes-Audelo was allegedly threatening the bus driver and 26 passengers who were on board. He was able to get into the secure area of the bus, started attacking the driver and grabbed the steering wheel to try and crash the bus, Fountain police said.
The bus did eventually crash into a guardrail on Interstate 25 near the S. Academy Boulevard exit. It had been en route to Denver.
Police say a passenger on the bus confronted Arellanes-Audelo but he broke a window out of the bus and escaped. But he wasn’t free for long.
Police say a passerby who was armed with a gun stopped and pointed the weapon at Arellanes-Audelo. He dropped the knife and was held there until police arrived.
Police say Arellanes-Audelo was medically cleared and booked into the El Paso County jail. Police said some people had minor injuries when the bus crashed.
Woman describes attempted stabbing at Walmart in Fleming Island
Alis Muntain says that a boy threatened her with a knife when she was shopping on Tuesday night. She says things may have been worse if not for a shopper nearby who happened to have a concealed carry permit.
Author: Troy Kless
CLAY COUNTY — It was a scary moment for Alis Muntain of Orange Park. She was shopping for cat food and litter when a teenager approached her in the store Tuesday night.
She says a teenage boy threatened her saying, “I want you to have sex with me, I have a knife in my pocket.”
She says after the boy confronted her, a man nearby was legally carrying a concealed weapon.
He bought her time to run away from the boy. After he tried chasing after Muntain, he left the store. Clay County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the 1400 block of CR 220 where they found the boy.
According to a police report, the 14-year-old boy was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Muntain’s post got over a thousand shares and reactions.
Muntain was unavailable for an interview but she says she was grateful for the man’s help.
The suspect is being held in the Juvenile Detention Center in Jacksonville.
She detailed the ordeal in a Facebook post.
Alis Muntain
Wow. I'm still reeling a little from the events of tonight.
Tonight, I was threatened with a knife in Walmart. In FLEMING ISLAND.
I am convinced that I would've been stabbed had it not been for the divine timing of another customer walking by who just happened to have a concealed carry license.
I was making a quick run to get cat food and litter. My arms were so full that I was sitting in the aisle contemplating whether I wanted to put it down and search for a cart when a teenager (15-17) approached me. I thought he was going to see if I needed help, but then he asked how old I was. A bit confused by the question, I just assumed he needed help himself and wanted to verify that I was an adult. I hesitantly replied with my age. He then said "I want you to have sex with me. I have a knife in my pocket.", proceeding to pull out his pocket and show me that there was indeed a knife there. I blinked, paused, and then said "Are you aware that we're on camera?"
"Yes."
"I want to make you aware that I have a husband and a THREE year old son waiting in my car for me. They will be looking for me soon."
"Yes."
"And you are threatening me with a knife if I don't have sex with you?"
"Yes."
RIGHT at that moment, a man walked across the end of the aisle behind the teenager. I have no idea how I had remained (at least visibly) calm to this point. Keeping my voice light, I called out "Excuse me sir, could you help me?" as the boy turned to see who was behind him. Thinking I was talking about my still full arms, he said "sure" and turned towards me. As soon as he took a step, I stated:
"This boy has a knife and is threatening to use it on me if I don't have sex with him."
Man: .... "are you serious?"
Me: "Yes." *slowly edging backwards*
Man: "Are you threatening her??"
Teenager: "yes" *shows knife*
Man: "Call for help, now."
By this point, I was about 8-10 feet away, so I turned and RAN, screaming for help. I didnt know the man had a concealed weapon that he pulled on the boy, who then proceeded to run after me. At the end of the aisle, I veered left. running into an entire display of plastic bins and losing my glasses, but he went right. He ran out of the store, but eventually was caught by police after pulling a knife on them as well.
I firmly believe that if that man hadn't walked by when he did and had his gun on him, things could've gone VERY differently. It still doesn't feel real. I'm so grateful that he was placed in my path at that moment, and that he was exercising his right to bear arms. I always figured that was a slim possibility at my school, but never at a Walmart in Fleming Island. You literally never know...
I'm safe, guys. I just figured this was a story that should be shared, because it truly emphasized the importance of utilizing your freedom to keep yourself and others safe. I'm not trying to cause a huge debate, just offering some food for thought.
NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner Richard Childress shoots at home invaders
NASCAR team owner and 2017 Hall of Fame inductee Richard Childress shot at three masked men who broke into his home in North Carolina on Sunday night, media outlets reported.
Childress, 72, said he was upstairs with his wife at about 10:30 p.m. when he heard glass break downstairs. He grabbed his handgun, went downstairs and fired multiple shots at the home invaders, according to the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office.
No one was injured, and nothing was taken from the home, Davidson County Sheriff David Grice told the Winston-Salem Journal. Childress and his wife, Judy, live in Reedy Creek, an unincorporated part of the county near his race shop in Welcome.
The intruders broke a window beside a doorknob, which sounded an alarm, the Journal and other news outlets reported.
All three intruders had most of their faces covered, and they held what appeared to be guns, the sheriff’s office said on Facebook.
Childress told the sheriff “the only reason he and his wife were here today was because of God and the Second Amendment,” Winston-Salem NBC affiliate WXII 12 reported. Childress is a second vice president of the National Rifle Association.
North Carolina state law, specifically the newest Castle Doctrine, permits homeowners to use deadly force if they have reason to believe that unlawful and forced entry occurred.
Police said they are still looking for suspects.
Anyone with information should call Davidson County sheriff’s Sgt. M. Hanna at 336-242-2105 or Lexington Area Crimestoppers at 336-243-2400.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nascar-auto-racing/thatsracin/article190934629.html#storylink=cpy
By Brendan Marks And Joe Marusak
jmarusak@charlotteobserver.com
Teen gets revenge on mountain lion that killed his goat
CUSTER | Last week, a young mountain lion wreaked havoc on Lila Streff’s life, killing one of her goats, a duck, a house cat and, judging by the amount of feathers scattered in its deadly wake, a chicken. But thanks to her 14-year-old son, the mountain lion didn’t get away with it.
That Wednesday morning began with a gruesome discovery: a bloodied goat lie dead on the ground behind Streff’s house, 10 miles south of Custer near Pringle. The owner of Black Hills Goat Dairy, single mother of six, and grandmother to nine, soon discovered it was one of the young bucks she keeps pastured behind her home.
For better than a decade, Streff has milked 38 others, as well as eight dairy cows, making deliveries to Custer on Tuesdays and Rapid City on Fridays. But this was the first animal she had lost to a hungry mountain lion.
“We can see the goats right off the back porch, and we saw one lying on the ground back there,” she said on Tuesday. “We went right out and looked, and it was dead. We also saw a trail of destruction from the chicken coop with a dead cat, a dead duck and a bunch of chicken feathers.”
Streff said she feared the mountain lion would return for more.
“It’s unnerving because I really have a smorgasbord of animals here,” she said. “It’s like Golden Corral. If you don’t stop it, you’ll be at the mercy of the lions. I also have grandchildren out back occasionally, and I was worried.”
Streff credits “fearless” Isabella, one of her four Great Pyrenees, with chasing off the mountain lion before it could feast on its victim. While praising her prized 80-pound dog, Streff said she was still saddened at the loss of one of her goats.
“We’ve seen Isabella get in a fight with a lion before,” she said. “She’s fearless, and she’s not afraid of them. But this is the first animal we’ve lost in 10 years.”
Streff reported the incident to the state Game, Fish & Parks Department and said she and her two children whom she home-schools waited around most of the day for a conservation officer to show up. And they kept watch out back lest the mountain lion return for its kill.
After a long, sad day, Streff’s youngest child, 14-year-old Dalton, who fancies himself a hunter, told his mother he was going to go sit in the backyard and await the return of the beast that had killed their young goat. The 5-foot-10, 130-pound, brown-haired teenager, who had previously completed a hunter’s safety course, brought with him his 30.06-caliber Remington rifle he won last year in an NRA raffle.
Lacking a proper blind in which to shelter himself from approaching critters, Dalton opted instead for a Little Tikes playhouse conveniently located in the backyard. There on a chair he sat, scanning the surrounding woodlands for the killer cat.nt (1 of 1): 0:23
His mother was skeptical.
“He decided he was going to go sit out there until 7, when he had to do milking chores,” Streff said. “He said he’d go back out again at 5:30 in the morning if it hadn’t returned that night. But even though it was a possibility, none of us expected the cat to come back that evening.”
A half-hour later, as the sun began to set behind the Ponderosa pines, Streff heard a single, staccato gunshot pierce the silence of their remote Black Hills home.
“So I ran outside, and Dalton threw his arms in the air and screamed, 'I got it,'" Streff said.
On Tuesday, the soft-spoken, well-armed kid said he had been intently watching his surroundings from the confines of the plastic playhouse when he noticed one of his family’s house cats wandering about 50 yards away.
“I was just sitting there and all of sudden one of our cats was back there too, and the mountain lion jumped on it,” Dalton recalled. “It looked at me once. When I saw the mountain lion, I grabbed my gun quietly so I didn’t scare it off, quietly loaded one round, looked through the scope and shot it. When I shot it, it jumped about 20 feet and then did a face plant.”
After waiting about three minutes, adrenaline pumping through his body, Dalton walked over to the young, female, 70-pound mountain lion and confirmed his first kill.
“I got it right through the heart,” he said. “I was so excited I jumped up and down. And my friends thought it was really cool.”
His mother was equally amazed, but said she was reticent to get near the downed lion.
“I am very proud of him,” she said of her youngest son. “He’s got a good eye, that’s for sure. It was a very tough shot through trees, and he made a straight shot right in the heart.
“But I had never seen a mountain lion up close like that,” Streff added. “It was unnerving walking back there, not knowing if it was dead. I’m not one to hunt mountain lions, but when it’s coming after your livestock, you either hunt it or suffer the consequences.”
Man, 73, with concealed carry permit shoots Fresno man in apparent self defense
FRESNO, California - Two men were injured after an altercation that led to a shooting in southeast Fresno on Thursday morning.
The shooting took place around 7:45 a.m. behind a house in the 100 block of north Argyle Avenue.
A 73-year-old man was walking down the canal bank behind the home as he often does, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said. The man often walks his dog and returns to the area and cleans up the canal bank.
A 22-year-old man approached the 73-year-old and a verbal confrontation began. Dyer said the men have had issues in the past.
Dyer said at some point, the 22-year-old picked up a large stick or wooden object and struck 73-year-old -- which may have resulted in his leg or ankle being broken.
That's when the 73-year-old pulled out a fire arm and shot the 22-year-old three times in the hip and wrist.
Both men were taken for medical treatment.
The 73-year-old has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, Dyer said, and although the investigation is ongoing, the preliminary information points to the shooting being in self defense.
Son shoots robber to protect mom
ULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A Fulton County woman came face to face with an armed robber Thursday afternoon.
"I was taking my grandson to doctor's appointment and had one foot in the car when suddenly a car was blocking my driveway," the woman said.
The woman doesn't want to be identified but told FOX 5 News, the driver immediately got out and rushed to her.
"He said 'Whose car is this? Give me the keys," the woman said.
Fulton County Police have identified the robber as Trystan Delk.
"I started screaming so loud that my son who was inside at the time heard me and came out to help," the woman said.
Police said the woman's son fired shots at Delk, hitting him multiple times.
"He still managed to drive himself to a nearby fire station where he tried to play the victim," the woman said. "He told them that he was the victim of an interstate shooting."
The woman said shortly after police put two and two together.
"I also found out that my neighbor was also targeted just a few minutes before I was," the woman said.
Police said Delk faces armed robbery charges.
"I hope he doesn't come back or anyone for that matter," the woman said. "Because this time I'll be waiting”.
Homeowner held burglary suspect at gunpoint
A 20-year-old man was arrested Sunday morning after deputies say a homeowner held him at gunpoint in his garage.
About 2am Sunday, March 4th, a Ferndale homeowner in the 2200 block of Brown Road reported hearing loud banging noises outside his home and armed himself to investigate. According to Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) Undersheriff Jeff Parks, the homeowner found a broken window at the back of his garage and discovered a man inside a fenced area.
Before the homeowner could display his firearm, the man threw himself to the ground shouting “Just shoot me,” “Just take me to jail” and “Just tase me,” according to Parks.
911 was called and the call receiver was informed of the subject being held at gunpoint. WCSO deputies were dispatched and Ferndale Police officers also responded to assist. FPD officers detained the suspect without incident according to Ferndale Police Lieutenant Bill Hatchett.
Parks said in an email, “The subject continued to act strangely and was physically uncooperative with LE, appeared to be under influence.”
Darren K Olson-Young, age 20, was subsequently booked into the Whatcom County Jail by WCSO deputies charged with 2nd degree burglary and 3rd degree malicious mischief (<$750). As of this morning, jail records showed Olson-Young in custody pending a $5000 bail or bond.
CPL holder pulls gun to scare off man attacking her
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (WJBK) - A woman walking her dog in Sterling Heights scared off a man with her licensed gun when he tried to attack her Sunday evening, police say.
As she walked her dog outside Maple Grove apartments near 15 Mile and Van Dyke that night, the Sterling Heights woman says she got a sinking feeling when she saw a van nearby.
"That's kind of odd - that time of night, why is this van running? And it's a black van with no windows," Sterling Heights Police Chief Dale Dwojakowski said the woman thought.
Police say she noticed a man get out of the van on the other side of the street and started walking parallel to her. Feeling uneasy, the woman, who is in her 40s, and a CPL holder, says she immediately put her hand on her gun that was hidden under her jacket.
Keeping her eye on the man, and continuing to hold her gun, she got to the end of the street and the suspect disappeared. But then not even a minute later, that's when he came toward her.
"He grabbed the back of her jacket and tried to grab her and pull her towards him," Dwojakowski said.
The woman says she saw the man holding something shiny, possibly a knife.
"She put the gun into the suspect's stomach and said, 'I don't want to kill you,'" Dwojakowski said.
Police say the man appeared shocked and quickly ran off. The woman describes him as a black male in his 30s, medium build, clean shaven, with a scar on his upper lip.
Officials are conducting interviews, working to corroborate the woman's story and verify details of the report. They're also increasing patrols in the area and looking to see if the alleged attack was captured on surveillance video.
By: Erika Erickson
Man shot, killed attempting to carjack family of 5 identified by coroner
UPDATE JAN. 4: 36-year-old Alonzo Wombley was identified as the man shot during the incident on Dec. 31.
UPDATE JAN. 2: The black pickup truck involved in the incident did not remain on scene. This individual is considered a witness and detectives would like to interview this person.
ORIGINAL STORY
At 10:25 p.m. on Dec. 31, officers say a driver shot a man trying to get into his car near Alexander Road and Gulliver Street.
The event began when a man was reportedly hanging on to or being dragged by a pickup heading westbound on Alexander Street from Lamb Boulevard.
A driver of a red Dodge SUV flagged down the pickup to say someone was hanging on to the truck. The pickup stopped, the victim let go and pickup left the scene.
The victim then attempted to get into the Dodge SUV while two adults and three children inside the vehicle tried to prevent him from getting in. At some point, the driver took out a gun and started to hit the victim over the head. When that didn't work the driver fired two shots into the victim to stop him. The victim was transported to the hospital where he later died.
The five people in the SUV remained at the scene and cooperated with police officers. The incident is being considered as self-defense and no arrests have been made.
BY Kel Dansby, Tom George
Gun-carrying customers at SC dealership held attacker at gunpoint until cops arrived
YORK COUNTY, SC
A pair of customers legally carrying guns held a pipe-wielding attackerat bay at a York County car dealership until police arrived in a December incident where the suspect threatened to kill dealership employees, prosecutors said in court Friday.
Alonzo Seegars, upset with service at Stateline car dealership on Gold Hill Road in Fort Mill on Dec. 21, arrived armed with a pipe wrench, said Aaron Hayes, 16th Circuit assistant solicitor. Seegars told a service employee, “I know who you are and you are a dead man,” then “threatened to kill” a female employee, Hayes said.
Seegars then shouted out “Watch this!” as he smashed at least three vehicles with the pipe wrench, Hayes said.
Two customers, whom prosecutors said had legal concealed carry permits and were armed legally at the time, intervened and “held Mr. Seegars at bay” with the handguns at the crowded dealership until police arrived, Hayes said. York County deputies tackled Seegars after using an electric stun gun. Seegars suffered a broken leg in the scuffle.
eegars, 29, was in court Friday because he wanted bond after the Jan. 2 arrest. Seegars said he is a “nightclub promoter” from Charlotte but is originally from Lancaster. Seegars spent most of the hearing in a chair because of his broken leg.
Seegars’ lawyer, Creighton Hayes of Rock Hill, said Seegars was “in a state of extreme mental distress” during the incident Dec. 21. Hayes conceded in court the vehicles were damaged, but said the attempted murder is an “over charge” because no one was harmed or hurt.
Yet an employee, whose name was not used in court because of his fear of Seegars, said in court Friday that Seegars had previously threatened people at the dealership, and on Dec. 21, backed him into a corner with the pipe wrench before a profanity-laced tirade of death threats and smashed cars.
“He scared a lot of people,” the employee said in court.
Visiting Judge Benjamin Culbertson said Seegars has a right to bond before trial and set the bond at $25,000 on the five felony charges Seegars faces. Culbertson put restrictions on the bond that Seegars have no contact with the dealership or victims.
Seegars was not taken to jail Dec. 21, but hospitalized for physical and mental health reasons after police took him into custody that day, testimony showed Friday. However, even though York County deputies told hospital officials in Charlotte that police had arrest warrants against Seegars and wanted to charge him before release, Seegars was discharged from a Mecklenburg County medical facility Dec. 30, testimony showed.
Seegars was served the warrants for the December incident Jan. 2, but only after after he allegedly went to his former place of employment in Fort Mill. Police were called because of a disturbance and found Seegars was wanted, incident reports show.
By Andrew Dys
Circle K suspends clerk after she shoots robber
By Journal staff and wire reports
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Circle K clerk Jennifer Wertz who shot an armed robber Monday afternoon told KOAT-TV that management has suspended her for two weeks following the incident.
She said robberies happen all the time and yet workers are told they can’t defend themselves.
Wertz said she had her gun with her Monday because she was supposed to work until 10 p.m. at the store at Eubank and Candelaria NE, KOAT reported. She said she feels uncomfortable walking to her car at night.
Wertz put her gun in her pocket after she heard that another nearby convenience store was just robbed. She said she was not behind the counter when a man barged in with a gun.
“We are not to chase or provoke. We are just supposed to stand there and give them what they want and they leave,” she said.
She told KOAT that she chose to confront the robber because, “I’m sick and tired of being a sitting duck. He pointed the gun at my face, I grabbed my gun from my pocket, I cocked it and I shot.”
KOAT reached out to Circle K management about the incident, but they declined to comment.
The clerk who shot Mendez is not facing any charges, police said.
Earlier Tuesday, police have identified the man they say was shot and injured as he tried to rob the convenience store as 23-year-old Ferron Mendez.
“He will be booked (into jail) upon his release from the hospital,” Tixier said.
Mendez has no criminal history in New Mexico, according to online court records. Tixier said that the suspect has a Pennsylvania driver’s license, but that he didn’t know whether he has a criminal history there.
Journal Staff Writer Elise Kaplan contributed to this report
Chino Hills Homeowner Holds Alleged Attempted Burglars at Gunpoint; 5 Arrested
by Erika Martin and Kimberly Cheng
A Chino Hills father was able to apprehend a group of men who allegedly entered his residence Monday afternoon while he was home with his wife and children.
Yan Zhang of Chino Hills was at home with his wife and children when five people tried to enter the house through a balcony in the back.
Just after 1 p.m., four men between 18 and 20 years old and one juvenile entered the Zhang family's home in the 13000 block of Gemstone Court via a balcony off the Zhang family's back yard, San Bernardino sheriff's officials said in a statement.
As the suspects attempted to enter the home through an upstairs door, Yan Zhang grabbed his handgun and confronted them, the agency said.
“They were home and then several kids kind of tried to pry the door open, tried to get in," neighbor Tony Tran told KTLA. "(Zhang) got a gun so he fired a warning shot and was able to apprehend them until the police showed up.”
The father held the group at gunpoint while his wife sheltered the children, and a neighbor called 911, according to deputies.
Pictures Tran said were posted by Zhang on Chinese social media appear to show the suspects down on the ground as the family waited for authorities to arrive.
Authorities made several arrests in connection with the incident.
Two of the five suspects were able to flee, but neighbors assisted deputies in locating them, officials said.
Roberto Alonso Salmon, 18; Garret Rogers, 19; Ruben Medivil, 19; Joaquin Leonardo Salmon Garcia, 20; and a 17-year-old boy were all arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary.
“It was a relief because that particular time there was more than just him at home,” Tran said.
Rogers, Medivil, Salmon and the 17-year-old — whose name was not released due to his age — reside in Chino, while Garcia lives in Chino Hills.
The four adults were booked into West Valley Detention Center, and the juvenile was cited and released to his parents, deputies said.
Three burglars entered an Oklahoma home.
The owner’s son opened fire with an AR-15, deputies say.
Gunfire rang out Monday afternoon in a home in Broken Arrow, an Oklahoma city 15 miles southeast of Tulsa. Three intruders were killed after the son of the homeowner fired a semiautomatic rifle in what local law enforcement officers later described as an act of self-defense, though their investigation remains open.
The intruders — a 16-year-old, a 17-year-old and a man thought to be 18 or 19 — had smashed open the back door of the house, the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted to Facebook. Their plan was burglary, authorities said.
They wore gloves, masks and all-black clothes, Wagoner County Deputy Nick Mahoney told Tulsa World. Two of the teenagers were armed, one with a knife and the other with brass knuckles.
The trio reportedly exchanged words with the 23-year-old son of the homeowner, whose name has also not been released. He fired on them with an AR-15, a popular semiautomatic rifle, officials told Fox 23.
The shots seemed to shatter the day like a thunderstorm, one neighbor told CBS affiliate KOTV-TV.
“Upon making entry to the home one of the residents fired a rifle striking all three of the suspects,” the sheriff’s office statement said.
Two of the intruders died inside the kitchen. The other “was able to run to the driveway before succumbing to his injuries,” the statement said.
The homeowner and his son gave formal statements at the sheriff’s office.
Authorities later said the suspected getaway driver, Elizabeth Rodriguez, turned herself in at the Broken Arrow Police Department, the Tulsa World reported. The 21-year-old was arrested on complaints of first degree murder, three counts, as well as three counts of burglary. “A person who is committing a felony when a death occurs can be charged with felony murder,” Tulsa World explained.
Several nearby homes had been burglarized in recent weeks, neighbor Leon Simmons told KOTV-TV. Authorities said they could not speculate as to whether this incident was related to the others.
The sheriff’s deputy described the shooting as an abnormal occurrence in the typically quiet Wagoner County. “This is very, very unusual for us. It’s not something we’re used to,” he told Tulsa World. “It’s not something we normally have.”
Source: By Ben Guarino
Marysville police applaud homeowner’s handling of confrontation with wanted man
By Annie Andrews
MARYSVILLE, Wash. – Marysville police said a homeowner did everything right when he came face-to-face with a criminal on the lam Monday morning, putting his conceal-and-carry permit to the test.
The homeowner, Joe Hemrich, said it took the decade of training with his pistol to teach him not to pull the trigger on the man.
“I swing the door open and say, hey! He turned and that’s when I said, put your hands in the air,” Hemrich said.
Just after midnight Sunday, Hemrich was staring straight into the eyes of a man with whom police said had four warrants out for his arrest.
Hemrich said he didn’t know that at the time -- all he knew in that moment was this man was holding a baton and was four feet away from his child’s bedroom.
“Up until two weeks ago, we had 70-degree nights, so those windows are open at night,” he said.
The father of three held his stance in the doorway, holding the pistol he owned and trained with for 12 years.
“This the first time in my life it has ever come out of a holster, when I wasn’t at a range,” he said. “I train so I know exactly where it is, exactly how to pull it out, whether my finger is going on the trigger.”
Hemrich said it’s that extensive training and comfort with his weapon that allowed him to focus on the man in front of him, not on his gun, “which is why no one got shot last night,” he said.
Hemrich said he’s heard the horror stories of what can happen in situations where homeowners confront criminals. He said when it comes to weapons, good Samaritans can wind up hurting others.
“You have to know how to use it. If not, you’re just a liability,” he said, talking about his gun.
Last week, a Bonney Lake homeowner received more than eight years in prison for accidentally killing his neighbor with a stray bullet. The man fired at a man stealing his car. It’s cases like that, said Hemrich, that were in the back of his mind in his situation.
“I carry a firearm to protect myself, my family, my community with the intentions of never having to use it,” he said.
Surveillance video captured Hemrich walk the suspect at gunpoint to the front of his yard, ordering the man to the ground and holding him until police arrived.
“I could see quite clearly there was a good-size knife sticking out the top of his backpack,” he said.
The entire altercation from when he confronted the man, to when police arrived lasted about five minutes, he said, adding that it was the longest five minutes of his life.
Marysville police said Hemrich did everything right in Monday morning’s altercation. They said most importantly, Hemrich complied with officer’s commands when they arrived on scene.
The suspect was reported to be a 23-year-old transient with four warrants for his arrest.
Woman shoots ex-boyfriend in self-defense as he tries to break into apartment
From staff reports
A 32-year-old man is facing burglary and battery charges — and is recovering from a gunshot wound — after police say he broke into his ex-girlfriend's apartment Friday.
Henry Johnson was treated at a local hospital after his ex-girlfriend shot him as he allegedly broke into her home.
Pensacola Police Department spokesman Mike Wood said the woman was inside her home at Pensacola Village Apartments on East Fairfield Drive at about 5:30 a.m. when Johnson broke through the front door.
The woman shot Johnson once in the leg, and police arrived soon after, according to PPD. Police questioned Johnson soon after, and Wood said the female won't face any charges for the incident.
Johnson is being held at the Escambia County Jail without bond, according to jail records.
Armed woman spooks would-be burglars
By Adam Lawson
Two intruders who made their way into a Stanley house Tuesday were quickly spooked back outside by the barrel of a .40-caliber pistol.
Sabrina Flowe was by herself at her Rhyne Street home until the men entered through her patio and laundry room just after 10:30 a.m. They were trying to enter through a main door to get into a kitchen when, as Flowe says, she “stopped them.”
“I showed it to them,” Flowe said. “I didn’t have to point it at them or anything. Just hold it up and let them see I had a gun and they were gone.”
The lanky mother of two’s children were at school and daycare at the time of the incident. But Flowe says she responded as if they were right there with her.
Fear wasn’t on her mind, only preparation. And a lifetime around firearms readied her for the moment her gun was truly needed.
“You always prepare for it,” she said. “You hope it won’t ever happen. But you want to be prepared for it in case.”
Even if she wasn’t armed with a loaded weapon, Flowe says her motherly instincts would’ve made do in the circumstances.
“I would’ve found something,” she said. “A kitchen knife or something. They’re not going to come in my house.”
The 27 year old described one of the suspects as a 6-foot-2 black man with a scar on the left side of his neck. She didn’t get a good look at the second intruder.
Police arrived to the scene shortly afterward, but both men got away. Flowe doesn’t know why they’d target her — she’s only lived in the house around a year — but thinks they may have been looking for the previous tenant.
The incident didn’t scare Flowe. Her gun and the police department’s presence a mile up the road gives her comfort, she said.
And if the suspect returns, she says she’ll be ready.
“If they do, I’ll still be waiting with the same gun,” she said.
Deputies: Homeowner's son shoots intruders in Orange County home invasion
by: Jason Kelly, Cuthbert Langley Updated: Feb 21, 2017 - 6:53 PM
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - When two home invaders put a gun to a woman’s head, her son fought back, deputies said.
One intruder was fatally shot and a second was critically wounded Tuesday morning during a home invasion in a Pine Hills neighborhood, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.
The men, both in their early 20s, broke into a home on Perrine Drive shortly after 10:45 a.m. and pointed a gun at the homeowner's head while making demands, Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Jane Watrel said.
“One of them held a gun to her hear and made demands. I don’t know what those demands are,” said Watrel.
The woman's son ran to a bedroom to retrieve a gun and shot both intruders in self-defense, Watrel said.
Investigators said the body of one of the intruders, later identified as 24-year-old Racheed Briggs, was found lying in the front yard of the home, but the other man was able to make it to Winter Park Memorial Hospital.
It's unknown if the wounded man drove himself to the hospital or if someone took him there, Watrel said. He had to be transferred to Orlando Regional Medical Center because of the severity of his injuries.
He remains in critical condition.
Deputies said it's also unknown if the victim and the suspects knew one another.
Throughout the hours-long investigation, frightened neighbors gathered around, including Victoria Escontris, who said she’s a close friend of the victims.
“I’m shocked at what’s going on because the people don’t bother nobody. So it’s just surprising that somebody would just do that to them,” she said.
The investigation is ongoing.
Foley PD: Suspect shot by homeowner after breaking in using pick-axe
By Alexa Knowles, FOX10 News Reporter
FOLEY, AL (WALA) -
11:00 P.M. UPDATE: A 21-year-old man is dead and police are searching for a second suspect after what police say was a "violent" home invasion.
A man who lives at and owns Elite Marine on Highway 59 fired two shots and killed the suspect after he tried to break in, according to Foley Police. The suspect was able to get through three doors using a pick-axe.
According to Capt. Bullock, the homeowner "had no choice but to defend himself."
Investigators have reason to believe that someone else is involved. They believe that person was picked up in a car after running away.
Late Tuesday night, K-9 units were searching the wooded area behind the business but that search has been called off.
Foley PD says the suspect and the business owner do not know each other.
ORIGINAL STORY: Foley Police Department is on scene of what appears to be a home invasion.
According to Capt. Bullock with FPD, officers are on scene of "what looks like a home invasion" on Chestnut Drive in Foley.
Officials confirmed that one person has been shot and killed. Police cannot confirm who was killed yet.
Intruder with crowbar shot by homeowner, Pittsburgh police sayhttp://on.wpxi.com/2oDXJMq
Officials said an intruder was shot by a homeowner during an apparent home invasion Monday evening.
Authorities said crews were called just after 9 p.m. to the 400 block of Marshall Avenue in Pittsburgh's Perry South neighborhood.
Channel 11's Steven Fisher reported that the 51-year-old resident heard someone rummaging around the first floor of his home.
He grabbed his gun and confronted the intruder, who police identified as 56-year-old Darrell Bettis. According to police documents, the homeowner pointed his gun at Bettis and told him to "get down on the ground" and "police are on their way."
Police said Bettis charged at the man and struck him with a crowbar. After a struggle, police said the homeowner shot Bettis in the upper right thigh.
Bettis was transported to Allegheny General Hospital in stable condition. Police said Bettis will be charged with aggravated assault, burglary and criminal mischief. He will be taken to the Allegheny County Jail after he's released from the hospital.
The homeowner was treated after he was struck in the head with the crowbar.
A 'visceral' reaction, with no time to spare: Arizona man gives emotional account of saving DPS trooper
DPS TROOPER SHOT ON I-10 NEAR TONOPAH Arizona Good Samaritan who saved DPS trooper's life speaks | 1:19
Thomas Yoxall spoke about his experience saving DPS Trooper Ed Andersson from an assailant on Jan. 12, 2017, off Interstate 10. Yoxall shot and killed the assailant in that scuffle. Hannah Gaber/azcentral.com
He had little time to think and just acted instinctively, he said, firing his weapon to save one man's life while taking another.
His voice breaking, the man who came to the rescue of an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper on Jan. 12 said the aftermath of that confrontation has been "overwhelming."
Thomas Yoxall, 43, spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday afternoon, describing what happened on a stretch of Interstate 10 in the far West Valley after he came upon the wounded trooper being attacked, his head being pounded into the pavement.
Yoxall ordered the man to stop the assault; when the man didn't, he fired.
Yoxall described his reaction as "visceral."
"It’s who I am," he said. "I can't arbitrarily stand by and watch a tragedy like that unfold without doing what I can to intervene and stop it."
In an emotional news conference at DPS headquarters, Yoxall said that while he still strugglesﾠwith taking a life and has sought counsel from his pastor, he would do the same thing all over again.
As he was driving to California shortly before 4:30 a.m. Jan. 12, Yoxall came across a man who was attacking DPS Trooper Ed Andersson on Interstate 10 west of Tonopah. Yoxall retrieved his own firearm and shot and killed the suspect, whom officials later identified as 37-year-old Leonard Penuelas-Escobar.
"I'm just thankful that I was able to respond, (in a way) that ultimately saved Trooper Andersson’s life," he said.
Yoxall said he has no military or law-enforcement experience but practices gun-safety techniques several times a year.
"I feel that it’s a right and a privilege to be a private gun owner, and with that right and privilege comes a great responsibility," he said.
DPS officials said Penuelas-Escobar and 23-year-old Vanessa Monique Lopez-Ruiz had been in a rollover accident just before the attack. Andersson, a 27-year veteran of the department, had stopped to assist when Penuelas-Escobar reportedly "ambushed" him, shooting him in the right shoulder and chest.
By the time Yoxall pulled over, Penuelas-Escobar was pounding Andersson's head into the pavement, authorities said.
DPS officials said Penuelas-Escobar's motive in attacking the trooper was unknown. Lopez-Ruiz, who was ejected from the vehicle, was killed.
Similar to a second Good Samaritan who came to Andersson’s aid that morning, Yoxall seemed uncomfortable with the outpouring of gratitude that followed his actions.
"I’m an ordinary person," he said. "I go to work, I do photography, I hang out with my friends and family. I was put in extraordinary circumstances and may have acted heroically, but I don’t consider myself a hero."
DPS Director Col. Frank Milstead described Yoxall as an "amazing" guy.
"I'm humbled to have met him, to know what he did," Milstead said. "Because we’re having this conversation about a hero and not an on-duty death."
Milstead said Andersson was still recovering, and as of Friday had not seen Yoxall in person since the incident.
Yoxall, an Arizona resident who currently works as a maintenance supervisor, acknowledged at the media event that he, like many others, has a "past."
"Those moments of poor judgement have not dictated my future," he said, without elaborating.
Maricopa County Superior Court records show a felony charge of theft from the year 2000, which later was reduced to a misdemeanor. According to court records, Yoxall admitted to stealing electronics items from a group home where he worked.
When petitioning the judge to reduce his felony conviction, Yoxall stressed that he was eager to be restored his right to bear arms. A felony conviction strips individuals of their right to possess a firearm, but they may be allowed the opportunity to have those rights reinstated.
"Before this incident, I was an avid shooter," Yoxall wrote in 2003. "… I miss owning a gun. I miss shooting with my friends as well as my son. I hope, if nothing else, you will reinstate my civil rights to include the right to bear arms once again."
In October 2003, a Superior Court judge vacated Yoxall’s guilty judgment and restored his right to possess a gun.
Woman grabs rifle to ward off man violating protective order
Jessica Lane
It seems one Chickasha woman had enough after a man repeatedly violated his protection order.
The woman was granted a final protective order against Larry Grammer in March. The protection order prohibits any contact unless specifically authorized by the court.
A few days later, Grammer called her to ask where her car title was, allegedly threatening to "come after her" if she did not provide the title. Grammer had possession of the car, according to the incident report.
On April 2, Grammer made contact again. Grammar was allegedly parked in a parking lot across from the woman's home while he repeatedly called her on the phone. Grammer allegedly threatened to kill her if she did not give him the car title.
Chickasha Police Officer, Lauren Matthews made contact with Grammer. Grammer denied calling the woman and said he was aware of the protection order against him.
On April 26, a reporting party said Grammer was at the woman's residence again, in violation of the protective order, according to an incident report.
"Dispatch then broadcast that [the woman] had a rifle and was standing on the porch, yelling for Larry to leave the house. As Police units were responding with lights and sirens, Larry backed out of the drive in a black [car] and drove away to the East at a high rate of speed," Lieutenant Scott Weaver said in a report.
Weaver caught up with the black car and pulled Grammer over, the report said.
Grammer said he had not been at the house, that he had been in the driveway next door and was trying to get his phone turned back on, the report said.
The woman with the protective order said Grammer had come to her house demanding her debit card. She said she then grabbed a rifle, stepped onto the porch and told Grammer he was not supposed to be there and ordered him to leave. She said Grammer left when he heard sirens coming, the report said. Two witnesses confirmed her story, the report said.
Grammer was placed under arrest and transported to the Grady County Jail.
Woman uses sidearm to fend off home invasion
by SBG San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO — A woman was able to defend her Northwest Side home and spoil an attempted home invasion Tuesday morning.
Police got a call from the homeowner on Timber Stream that someone was trying to break in. She was upstairs when she heard some noise coming from the bottom floor. That’s when she grabbed her gun and headed down the stairs.
She spotted a Hispanic male in his early 20’s breaking in through her back kitchen door. She started screaming at the man as he managed to kick in the door and make his way into the kitchen.
He continued to come into the home, so she opened fire. She doesn’t think she hit him. No blood was found at the scene.
“She shot through the window,” explained Sgt. Michael Oliva from the San Antonio Police Department. “She was probably trying to scare him. We checked and there’s no evidence that he was shot.”
The suspect took off running, and jumped into a car with another male and female that were waiting for him in front of the home. Police are looking for an older model white Mercury Grand Marquis that they believe was used as the getaway vehicle. Both the front and rear bumpers are damaged.
If you think you can provide any additional information – or may know who the home invader is, please call police.
Hero' stopped mass murder by crazed bar patron who was armed to the teeth, police say
https://www.dallasnews.com/author/marc-ramirez
A concealed carry holder is being heralded as a hero by Arlington police for preventing mass murder by killing an "incoherent" gunman at a sports bar Wednesday evening.
Before he was shot about 6:15 p.m., the gunman killed the manager of Zona Caliente in the 6500 block of South Cooper Street, police spokesman Christopher Cook said.
Police later identified the gunman as 48-year-old James Jones of Grand Prairie and the victim as 37-year-old Cesar Perez of Duncanville. The man who killed Jones has not been identified.
Authorities later found two loaded guns and two knives on Jones, Cook said Thursday.
"We do believe he had the capacity to do much greater harm," Cook said.
When Jones entered the business, some witnesses told police, he started yelling incoherently while standing at the bar.
"People didn't know who he was yelling at," Cook said.
Perez was trying to talk to Jones when he was fatally shot. Police do not believe they knew each other.
That's when a customer fired his gun at Jones.
"After he was struck once, the suspect started shooting at the front door," Cook told the Arlington Voice. "We know people were trying to escape, but we're not sure if he was just trying to harm others."
More than a dozen customers and a handful of employees were in the sports bar at the time of the shooting.
Cook said the customer, who was dining with his wife, "prevented further loss of life."
The customer was carrying a handgun under the Texas concealed handgun license program, Cook later confirmed.
"We're treating the good guy as sort of a hero," he said.
One other person was hurt, though it wasn't clear if it was a restaurant customer or employee. Police said that person was injured by glass while trying to get out.
Friends took to social media to honor Perez.
Employees of Cleveland convenience store disarm robber, hold him at gunpoint for police
By Adam Ferrise, cleveland.comThe Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Employees of a convenience store in the city's Stockyards neighborhood thwarted an armed robbery Friday by sneaking up behind the masked gunmen, putting a gun to his back and firing warning shots into the ceiling, according to police.
The employees held Fredrick Thornton, 26, at gunpoint inside the Convenient Food Mart on Clark Avenue until police took him into custody, according to police reports and surveillance footage of the incident.
Thornton is charged with aggravated robbery. He is being held in the Cleveland City Jail on $100,000 bond after his first court appearance on Monday.
The store's owner, Haytham Mustafa, said he's proud of the way his employees handled a dangerous situation.
"Thank God no one was hurt," he said. "They really handled it well. They didn't go overboard and didn't hurt anyone. That's what we wanted to do-- hold him and let the law deal with him."
Thornton wore a surgical mask and latex gloves when he walked into the convenience store about 10:45 p.m. Saturday.
He pointed a handgun at the 51-year-old employee behind the register, according to police reports. He demanded cash and counted to three and told the man he wasn't moving while smacking his gun against the register, according to police and the video.
A 24-year-old employee working in the back of the store heard a ruckus, grabbed the store's gun and crept up behind Thornton. He placed the gun at Thornton's back, police reports say.
Thornton whipped around and fought with the man. They ended up in a corner next to a stand fighting over the gun. An employee ran from behind the counter and grabbed Thornton's gun.
The employee managed to release the clip from Thornton's gun, then grab the gun itself. He loaded the clip back into the gun and fired several shots into the ceiling, the video shows.
Thornton placed his hands in the air while the employees forced him to the ground. Thornton can be heard on the surveillance video asking the employees not to shoot him. He also told them that he is homeless.
The employees called 911 and continued to question Thornton. An employee ran outside with a gun searching for anyone else who might have helped in the failed robbery attempt, according to police reports.
Cleveland police arrived and arrested Thornton without incident.
A woman later told police that she saw Thornton rob a person walking
on Clark Avenue, shortly before walking into the store, according to police reports.
The woman called 911 but only speaks Spanish and the dispatcher was unable to understand her. A translator later helped her report the other robbery to police. Officers reported being unable to find the victim in that incident, police reports say.
Thornton told police that a friend dropped him off in the neighborhood and that he initially went to the store to buy cigarettes. He said his adrenaline started pumping and he robbed the store, police reports say.
He also told police he has a $3,000 debt, including $900 for his life insurance, according to police reports.
Mustafa said he's only been robbed one other time about eight years ago. He said dealing with dangerous criminals is part of owning a convenience store. He said he's considering closing the store earlier or hiring security guards for the last few hours of the night.
"I'd also like to see the police just drive by or stop by around closing time," he said. "That's when most of this stuff happens."
by: Jeremy Pierre Updated: Apr 21, 2017 - 8:45 PM
A good Samaritan took action when they witnessed an attempted robbery near the FedEx Forum Thursday.
Officers were flagged down by a parking attendant who told police he was walking a woman to her car from Hernando Street.
An unknown suspect approached him from behind and hit him on the back of the head.
Police do not know what kind of weapon was used. The victim was then pushed to the ground, and the suspect started rummaging through his pockets.
A witness, who has his hand gun permit, saw what was going down, and pulled a gun on the suspect. Police said the suspect yelled, "I don't have a gun,” and hopped into a tan Toyota.
According to police, nothing was stolen from the victim. Luckily, he only suffered a minor bump and cut. He was not transported to a hospital.
MPD Colonel Gloria Bullock told FOX13 when there are major events in Downtown, criminals will test the water of committing crimes.
“They look for opportunity, they look when you’re not watching and jump up on you,” Bullock said.
Memphis Police could not give a specific suspect description only releasing the suspect was last seen driving away in a tan Toyota.
“I’m quite sure we’ll make an arrest in no time at all because we have cameras everywhere,” Bullock said.
Anyone with information about this crime is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.
Homeowner foils burglary attempt, holds suspect at gunpoint
The Escambia County Sheriff's Office said a homeowner stopped a burglary attempt by holding the suspect at gunpoint until authorities arrived on Saturday (March 25) morning.
The ECSO got a call from a female victim around 2:00 a.m., from a home at 114 Phil Road in response to a home invasion.
The female victim informed the 9-1-1 dispatcher that the suspect was still inside the residence.
When ECSO deputies arrived, they were advised by dispatch that the man who owned the home had the suspect, 37-year-old Robert Ryan Delgadillo, at gunpoint inside the residence.
When deputies entered the home, the homeowner complied with deputies' instructions and Delgadillo was on the floor face-down. Deputies took him into custody without incident.
The male homeowner told deputies he and his wife along with their children were asleep inside the residence, when they were awakened by the sound of breaking glass.
They realized someone had made unlawful entrance into their residence, so the homeowner retrieved his handgun and went into the living room. As he cocked the handgun, Delgadillo, came up from behind the sofa asking the homeowner not to shoot.
The homeowner ordered Delgadillo to lie face-down on the floor, while his wife called authorities.
Delgadillo was not known by the homeowner or his family. During the course of an investigation of the scene, deputies found an open folding knife that did not belong to the homeowner. That lead law enforcement to believe Delgadillo was armed during the home invasion.
The ECSO said Delgadillo, who is from the Brewton, Alabama area, has been charged with first-degree burglary. He is currently in the Escambia County Detention Center with a $50,000 bond on the charges from the home invasion.
Delgadillo also had a probation violation stemming from older charges.
Source: By Prescotte Stokes III | pstokes@al.comPress-Register
Local store clerk shoots would-be robber; customers escape injury
By Kelli Ann Pistokache
WACO, Texas (KWTX) A Temple man was shot during an attempted armed robbery Friday morning in Waco but the store clerk and customers inside were not injured.
Police were sent at about midnight Friday morning to the Shisa smoke shop on Lake Air Drive near Bosque Boulevard after a caller reported a robbery and a shooting, Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said.
Swanton said officers learned at least one man walked into the store and brandished a handgun, which he fired one time into the ceiling.
The store clerk also had a handgun which he pulled out and began firing at the suspect, Swanton said.
The suspect was hit twice in the exchange of gunfire but the clerk and customers inside the store were able to escape injury.
Cedric Brown, 20, of Temple, was found lying on the floor of the shop complaining that his wounds hurt and he was taken by ambulance to Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center.
The handgun used by the suspect was recovered at the scene and later found to be stolen.
Police also learned after confirming the suspect’s identity that he had outstanding warrants from Temple, for which he was arrested.
Additional charges in connection with the attempted aggravated robbery are pending further investigation, Swanton said.
Arlington Police Investigating Early Morning Shooting of Robbery Suspect
The Arlington Police Department responded to a report of a shooting around 6 a.m. on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 in the 6000 block of West Poly Webb Road. Officers believe that this was the result of an attempted robbery of the victim. While it is still early in the investigation, detectives believe that the victim, a man in his 20s, was jogging to a local gym in the area. The victim noticed a pickup truck that appeared to be following him and circle in front of him in a business parking lot. The victim reported that a suspect, later determined to be a juvenile, exited from the passenger side of the pickup and pointed a firearm at him while demanding his property. The victim pulled out a concealed firearm and began shooting at the suspect, striking him at least once in the leg.
The suspect fled to the pickup truck which was later found abandoned on Cedar Cove Court and Lindberg Drive. The pickup was determined to be stolen out of Arlington on February 16, 2017. Officers received information that the suspect entered an SUV driven by an adult female. This SUV was stopped by officers at the intersection of Poly Webb Road and Little Road. The suspect was compliant and transported to the hospital for treatment. Based upon the fact that the suspect is a juvenile, no additional identifying information will be released on the suspect.
Detectives are working to determine the female’s involvement and to identify the driver of the pickup. The victim was not injured and is being interviewed.
Home Invasion Suspect Fatally Shot By 81-Year-Old Homeowner
By Ralph Iannotti
UNIONTOWN (KDKA) — Police are investigating after an elderly homeowner shot and killed a home invasion suspect in Fayette County.
According to police, the suspect was fatally wounded after he broke into the 81-year-old’s Lennox Street home early Friday morning.
Sleeping in upstairs bedrooms at the time of the break-in was the elderly homeowner and his sister who is an invalid.
“The man woke up to someone standing over his bed, demanding money,” Uniontown City Police Lt. Tom Kolencik said. “He described him as a man wearing all black, a mask, black gloves. A small altercation then ensued.”
The alleged burglar was identified as Franklin Schrout, 40, of Uniontown. Officials say he has a prior criminal record of thefts.
The homeowner picked up a .22 caliber gun, which he had nearby and fired one round. It hit Schrout in the abdomen.
Lt. Kolencik told KDKA-TV’s Ralph Iannotti, “The [unidentified] homeowner advised [us] that he had the gun for over 30 years sitting on his nightstand and has never fired the weapon… and uses it today and it saved his life.”
Charges are not expected to be filed against the homeowner, who police said was shaken up and sustained a few cuts and bruises in his tussle with Schrout.
“The final say is up to the Distric Attorney, but it looks like self-defense,” Lt. Kolencik said.
The burglary suspect managed to run out of the home after he was shot. Police said they found his body in a neighbor’s yard.
1 dead after attempted armed robbery at Circle K
AIKEN, S.C. (WJBF) – One person is dead after an attempted robbery.
It happened at a Circle K at 1925 Edgefield Highway shortly before 6:30 a.m. Thursday.
According to Captain Eric Abdullah with the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, someone was pumping gas when a person armed with a gun approached the victim and demanded money.
The suspect has been identified as 39-year-old Steven P. Klimek of Batesburg.
Klimek also demanded the victim to get in his vehicle.
The two began fighting and the victim managed to get the suspect’s gun.
Klimek got his gun back and the victim grabbed his own firearm and shot the suspect several times.
Klimek was pronounced dead at the crime scene.
The names of the two people involved have not yet been released.
Three arrested after grandmother foils home invasion
By: Deidra Dukes
COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - Two men and a woman have been arrested after grandmother with a gun thwarted an attempted burglary at her home in Coweta County, according to deputies.
“I don’t know why they selected that house, but they picked the wrong one,” Colonel James Yarbrough from the Coweta County Sheriff's Office said.
According to a report, Elaine Stiehl, 78, was getting ready to take a nap when she heard a noise coming from inside her home on Mount Carmel Road around 3 p.m. Friday. Stiehl loaded her gun, opened her bedroom door and saw two men standing in her hallway, the report said.
Officials said the men were in the process of stealing furs and tools from the home, but after seeing Stiehl’s gun, the men reportedly ran out of the residence and fled in a car.
“Neighbors were able to give us a description of the vehicle we pulled it over and took the subjects into custody,” Yarbrough said.
John Michael O’Neal, 32, was been charged with burglary and theft by receiving stolen property.
Thomas Allen Linder, 44, is charged with burglary and weapons possession by a convicted felon.
The getaway driver, identified as Ann Renee Dearman, 49, was charged with burglary.
All three remain in custody at the Coweta County Jail.
Gun-Wielding Woman Saves Husband From Armed Robbers
BY: Stephen Gutowski
September 8, 2016 4:49 pm
A Florida woman saved her husband from armed robbers last week when she pulled her own gun, shooting one intruder and scaring off two others.
Three men broke into the couple’s home on Aug. 31 in an attempt to rob them, Pasco County sheriff’s deputies told the Tamp Bay Times. Though the couple was not identified, police said the three burglars broke into their home, pointed a gun at the husband, and ordered him to lay on the ground. They then searched his pockets for his wallet.
As the robbers were focused on her husband, the wife managed to make it into her bedroom. She retrieved her gun and returned to the living room where the intruders were still searching her husband. She then pointed the gun at the intruders and ordered them to freeze.
The robbers instead ran toward the door. After two made it outside, the third turned and pointed his gun at the woman. She fired a shot at him, striking him in the shoulder.
At that point, her husband tackled the intruder and a physical struggle ensued. A neighbor helped the husband subdue the robber. The armed intruder, who police said had a stolen gun, was transported to Tampa General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police later identified the man as Michael Jay Shackelford Jr., 46, and charged him with home invasion and robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon. He is being held on $150,000 bond.
There were no reported injuries to the homeowners.
Police: Man, 91, shoots suspected robber in Eastpointe
A 91-year-old concealed pistol license holder shot a man who was attempting to rob him Monday in Eastpointe, according to police.
The victim was exiting his car around 10:15 a.m. and heading into the Rite Aid on Gratiot near Nine Mile when an unknown suspect in his late 20s approached, Sgt. Martin Campbell said.
“He attempted to rob (the victim) and (the victim) had a CPL and ended up shooting the suspect,” Campbell said. “It’s as simple as that.”
The would-be robber was struck in the neck and fled across Gratiot, where he was arrested by responding officers.
“Two detectives found him walking over there,” Campbell said. “He had a gunshot wound to the neck but he was talking and acting erratic.”
The erratic behavior initially prompted alarm bells for his intended target, Campbell said.
“The suspect approached and began to act erratic. (The victim) told him he had a gun, he warned him three or four times and even had the gun pointed at him,” Campbell said. “But the suspect kept coming and pointed an unknown object at the victim.”
At that point, the victim opened fire, Campbell said.
The CPL holder went to the Eastpointe police station following the incident to give his statement, Campbell said. He is cooperating with authorities, who currently are treating the incident as self-defense.
“Nothing’s ever clear cut but that’s what we’re calling it right now: an attempted robbery shooting,” Campbell said.
The suspect remained hospitalized Monday and in police custody.
HFournier@detroitnews.com (313) 223-4616
Passerby shoots, kills suspect fighting deputy on I-75
ESTERO, Fla. — A passerby shot and killed a person who was fighting with a Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputy on Interstate 75 Monday morning.
Deputy First Class Dean Bardes, a 12-year-veteran, was working a crash at mile marker 126 when the suspect came upon him, causing Bardes to pursue him at high speeds, according to multiple sources.
Bardes and the suspect exited their vehicles at the Corkscrew Road exit and a fight started, sources said. The suspect was armed, Bardes told his supervisors, according to sources.
The passerby, who had a Concealed Weapons License, exited his vehicle and told the suspect he’d shoot him if he didn’t stop beating the deputy, sources said.
After noncompliance from the suspect, the passerby shot the suspect three times, sources said. The suspect later died.
Video captured by a witness appears to show an emergency crew giving CPR in an effort to revive the suspect at the scene.
Although Bardes was crying for help, he was not shot, sources said. He was treated and released from Lee Memorial Hospital.
It was unclear whether Bardes fired his weapon.
Deputies spent part of Monday afternoon searching the median of I-75 in both directions between mile markers 126 & 127, sources said. They did not immediately say what they were searching for.
The southbound ramp at Exit 123 reopened shortly after 7 p.m. after it was closed for nearly nine hours, causing a traffic backup for several miles.
Rick Maestas witnessed the events that led up to the incident.
Homeowner shoots 2 intruders, kills 1 in Iosco County, police say
By Cole Waterman | cwaterma@mlive.comThe Bay City Times
TAWAS CITY, MI -- An apparent burglary in Tawas City went awry for two intruders, ending with one dead and another injured.
About 8:20 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13, troopers from the Michigan State Police West Branch Post responded to a home invasion/shooting complaint in the 800 block of Fir Street. They had been dispatched after a 911 call was placed of rifle shots and a man going door-to-door with a gun, a police said in a press release.
"The initial investigation revealed the subject who was going door to door was seeking help regarding a home invasion and robbery which had just occurred in his residence," said Special 1st Lt. David Kaiser in the press release.
The 66-year-old man was in his home when two men entered, both wearing masks and brandishing hunting-type knives. The men attempted to rob him, but the resident shot them both with a rifle, Kaiser said.
One suspect, a 21-year-old Oscoda man, was dead and still wearing his mask when troopers arrived. The second suspect, a 29-year-old man also from Oscoda, received treatment for a gunshot wound on scene and then flown to a Saginaw hospital. He is expected to survive, Kaiser said.
The homeowner was not injured and is cooperating with investigators. He has not been arrested, Kaiser said.
Kaiser added it is unclear why the suspects targeted the homeowner, as there is no indication they knew each other.
The Michigan State Police Bridgeport Crime Lab responded to gather evidence and process the scene.
Once the investigation is complete, it will be submitted to the Iosco County Prosecutor's Office for review.
Police are not disclosing the deceased suspect's name until next of kin are notified. The surviving suspect's name is not going to be disclosed until potential arraignment on criminal charges.
Shoreline homeowner shoots, kills armed intruder
by KOMO Staff
SHORELINE, Wash. -- A Shoreline man shot and killed one of two men who broke into his home early Saturday, the King County Sheriff's Office said.
Police responded after 7 a,m. to the 14500 block of Whitman Avenue North. Officers found a wounded man who the resident of the home said was one of two men who had kicked in the front door of his home and entered it.
The resident told police that at least one of the intruders had a gun. The Shoreline man shot one intruder, and the other ran away.
Paramedic couldn't resuscitate the man who was shot. He was pronounced dead.
The Sheriff's Office is investigating and says it will not have more information on this case until at least Monday.
Gun owner breaks up AutoZone robbery in Jersey Village
Three suspects held store employees at gunpoint at an AutoZone in Jersey Village on Friday night.
Around 9 p.m., three men went into the store located at 9461 Jones and demanded cash from the register while holding guns, according to Harris County Sheriff deputies.
A customer saw the incident occurring as they drove up to the store and decided to step in to help. The customer, who has a concealed handgun license, pulled his gun and made the three suspects get on the ground.
The three suspects laid on the ground until deputies arrived and were arrested.
While deputies said they appreciate the customer for stepping in, they advise others against pulling out a gun because the incident could've ended with someone else getting shot.
No further information was identified about the suspects or the customer.
Man Shot Dead After Trying To Rob Gun Owner Identified As Treamel Gray, 23
By Kelly Bauer |
CHICAGO — A man with a concealed-carry license shot and killed an armed robber Wednesday night in Grand Boulevard, police said.
At 8:20 p.m., the man was sitting in a car with another man in the 4300 block of South State Street when two men with guns walked up and tried to rob them, said Officer Ana Pacheco, a Chicago Police spokeswoman.
One of the men in the car, 32, fired his gun, hitting one of the robbers, Pacheco said.
Treamel Gray, 23, one of the alleged robbers, was shot in his head. Gray, of south suburban Flossmoor, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified Friday by the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
The other robber ran away.
The 32-year-old man had a valid concealed-carry license, Pacheco said.
Wal-Mart employee fatally shoots armed robber in Sunrise
SUNRISE, FLA. (WSVN) - Sunrise Police are investigating after, they said, a man shot and killed a subject in self-defense who tried to rob him in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart.
It all happened around 3:30 a.m., Wednesday morning, at a Wal-Mart located, at 3306 N. University Dr., in Sunrise.
According to officials, the man, who friends and family have identified as 28-year-old Wal-Mart employee Ervin Jones, fatally shot the subject.
Jones was sitting in his Nissan Maxima car, waiting for his 4 a.m. shift to begin, according to co-workers, when a man with a gun walked up to him. “Somebody tried to rob him, and I guess he just defended himself,” said a co-worker.
The victim, who has a concealed weapons permit, pulled out his gun and opened fire during the encounter. The subject was pronounced dead on the scene
Another co-worker, who asked to remain anonymous, described what he witnessed. “The boy came up to him. He showed him, he said, ‘You know what this is, right? Give me everything,’ so he just opened fire on him right then and there. He was shocked. I think he was just shocked that he just killed.”
“One of my co-workers was waiting in his car, to clock in, and somebody tried to rob him,” said another Wal-Mart employee. “I guess he’s just pretty much defending himself. He’s a pretty mellow guy. If you ever get to meet him and talk to him, you wouldn’t even expect him to be able to defend himself like that because he’s very quiet, friendly.”
After the incident, Jones ran inside of the Wal-Mart to get help.
Jones has only worked at Wal-Mart for a couple of months, according to relatives. His sister said when her family first heard of the incident, they thought it was Jones who had been shot and killed.
“They said it was the other person, but when I woke up and heard about it, I was crying because, I mean, my brother is all I got and my kids,” said Natshia Jones. “But I’m sorry to hear what happened to the victim, but my brother work hard, he work hard to take care of him and his child.”
Jones added that her entire family has concealed weapons permits.
7Skyforce flew over the scene, where investigators could be seen combing for clues around a white car covered with a blue tarp.
“There’s just too much going on,” said nearby resident, Brigitte. “It’s wonderful that he could protect himself, otherwise he’d be the one behind the tarp.”
7News spoke with a woman who shops at the Wal-Mart on University regularly but said because of the shooting, she will not be going back. “I come here all the time. I shop here, like daily, you know, on a daily basis sometimes, and it’s crazy because that’s the time I normally would grocery shop, three or four o’clock in the morning, and that’s when this happened,” she said. “I won’t be coming no more.”
A hazardous waste company is cleaning up the area where the shooting occurred, Wednesday evening.
Sunrise Police are still investigating and have not yet released the name of the subject.
Permit-to-Carry Holder Pulls Gun to Fend Off Attacker
By Lee Voss October 11, 2016 10:34 AM
ST. CLOUD — A man who allegedly tried to attack a couple outside the St. Cloud Walmart store last week got more than he bargained for. It turns out the husband has a permit to carry, and used his gun to thwart off the attacker.
According to the criminal complaint, the couple was walking to their car just before midnight last Wednesday when a man dragging a baseball bat approached them. He asked the couple if they’ve “ever been hit in the head with a bat?”. The couple thought the man was joking and continued walking.
The husband heard the suspect take a deep breath when he turned around to find the suspect raising the bat as if to hit them. The man pulled out his gun and ordered the man to drop the bat.
Thirty-year-old Phillip Keys dropped the bat and told the man to shoot him before fleeing the scene.
Police later located Keys and arrested him.
Keys denied being at the store, saying he was drinking at a nearby bar all night. However, the couple positively identified Keys as the attacker and video surveillance shows the incident.
Keys is jailed on suspicion of 2nd degree assault.
Man carjacks women in Walmart parking lot; Woman fires gunshot at him, police say
SWATARA TWP., Pa. —
Police say the man wanted for a robbery and carjacking at a Dauphin County Walmart has turned himself in.
Swatara Township Police say the suspect, 45-year-old Michael Ortiz, attempted to commit a theft inside the store and was in the process of running away when he got into a vehicle in the parking lot. He turned himself in on Saturday.
Two women were inside the car and he threatened the driver by saying he had something that would give her HIV, then demanded to be driven away from the store, according to police.
Police say the driver followed Ortiz' orders and drove out of the parking lot. When she stopped at a red light on Grayson Road, a female passenger got out of the car, pulled out a handgun and demanded that Ortiz get out of the car.
According to the police report, he then got out of the car and tried to grab the gun out of her hands. The gun went off at least once and Ortiz ran from the scene.
Both female victims were unharmed. They returned to Walmart to wait for police.
Authorities say the woman was in legal possession of the gun and had a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
Ortiz is charged with robbery of a motor vehicle, kidnapping, and other offenses.
80-Year-Old Scares Off Robber Who Wore Scream Mask
Camden, SC (WLTX) - Camden police say the 80-year-old owner of a laundromat in Camden was able to scare off a robber wearing a Halloween mask by firing his gun.
The great-grandfather says he was sitting in his store Wednesday afternoon when the suspect entered the store. An incident report states the robber was wearing a mask from the movie "Scream" and all black.
Police say the suspect. who was armed with a gun, demanded a cash box. The owner said the suspect could take the box, which he did, and ran out of the store.
However, the owner followed picked up his .25 pistol, followed the suspect out of the store, and fired one round into the air. That started the suspect, who dropped the box and ran into a nearby vehicle, which then left the scene.
The car is described as a pea green Nissan or Toyota.
Anyone with information should call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC, or e-mail a tip in to www.midlandscrimestoppers.com. You can also text information in by texting "TIPSC" plus your message to CRIMES (274637). Either way you choose, your identity will remain anonymous, and you could be eligible for a cash reward.
Three suspects held store employees at gunpoint at an AutoZone in Jersey Village on Friday night.
Around 9 p.m., three men went into the store located at 9461 Jones and demanded cash from the register while holding guns, according to Harris County Sheriff deputies.
A customer saw the incident occurring as they drove up to the store and decided to step in to help. The customer, who has a concealed handgun license, pulled his gun and made the three suspects get on the ground.
The three suspects laid on the ground until deputies arrived and were arrested.
While deputies said they appreciate the customer for stepping in, they advise others against pulling out a gun because the incident could've ended with someone else getting shot.
No further information was identified about the suspects or the customer.
The Armed Citizen® July 18, 2016
A West Virginia man was savvy enough to suspect that a young woman who knocked on his door and asked to use the phone might be up to no good. So before he opened the door, he armed himself. He was right. As soon as the door was ajar, two male suspects also hustled into the home. They threatened the resident and demanded that he hand over his valuables. The elderly homeowner instead pulled out a gun and fired multiple times, hitting each of the male intruders. The female accomplice escaped the fray. One of the shooting victims was pronounced dead at the scene. The other was treated for his wounds. He and the woman now faces charges. (wvmetronews.com, Fairmont, WV, 4/19/16)
A Louisville, Ky., woman was walking to her vehicle in a parking garage when she was accosted by a strange man. The robber approached her, brandished a knife and told her to “Give me everything you have.” In response, the woman pulled her gun and shot him one time. Once the threat was over, the armed citizen called the police. The robber was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. (wlky.com, Louisville, KY, 1/27/16)
Instilling a respect for the principle of self-defense in her son is one reason why an 88-year-old Chicago woman survived a break-in. The elderly mother was awakened one night by the sound of a gunshot. Fortunately, it had come from her son, who fended off someone who was trying to enter the house through a window. Keeping guns around for self-defense is a practice the elderly woman has followed since her husband was shot and killed during a home invasion more than 50 years ago. “My son said he wasn’t going to let that somebody come in that window. He knew those boys came in the house and killed his father. He wasn’t going to let somebody come in the house and kill me,” the mother told television reporters after the incident. The suspect was taken to a hospital and treated for his injuries. (abc7chicago.com, Chicago, IL, 3/28/16)
Two Oklahoma City, Okla., men attempted to break into a second-floor apartment with deadly consequences. When two men he didn’t recognize knocked on his door, the apartment’s resident chose not to answer it. Thinking the occupant was out, the two burglars then started kicking the front door down. When they finally got through the door, the resident was ready for them; having retrieved his gun from a back room, the armed citizen fired on the duo. One of the intruders was struck and would die at the scene, the other fled and is still being sought by the authorities. (okcfox.com, Oklahoma City, OK, 1/25/16)
Shots rang out in a suburb of Pittsburgh when a homeowner protected his property from four juveniles who were breaking into the home. The boys were trying to enter the home through a window that housed an air conditioner. The armed citizen grabbed his .380 ACP handgun and confronted the intruders. He fired multiple shots, wounding two of the teens. All four of the suspects fled. One of the wounded was found on a nearby bridge; the second was found at a relative’s house. The two uninjured accomplices were also caught. All have been charged and placed in a juvenile detention facility. Officials said the homeowner was within his rights to defend his home. (Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA, 3/23/16)
Citizen assists with arrest of man trying to rob Home Depot
By Brooke Self
AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — One man was arrested and police are searching for a second suspect after a robbery at Home Depot.
Amarillo police said officers were sent to the Home Depot at 2500 S. Soncy on a robbery around 12:45 p.m. on Saturday.
According to police, the suspect, 35-year-old Ricky Solis, had taken power tools from the store and left without paying.
Police said a loss prevention officer made contact with Solis in the parking lot and he tried to flee. However, the loss prevention officer was able to catch him and the two became involved in a struggle.
During the struggle, police said a second suspect went up to the two men who were involved in the struggle and tired to help Solis get away. The second suspect kicked the loss prevention officer in the face. He then went back to his vehicle and pulled out a tire iron.
A citizen who saw what was going on then pulled out a handgun and told the suspects to get on the ground. The second suspect ran back to his vehicle and fled the scene. The citizen continued to point his gun at Solis and told him to get on the ground.
APD said the loss prevention officer was then able to handcuff Solis until APD officers arrived.
Police said Solis was arrested for Robbery and booked into the Potter County jail.
The loss prevention officer did sustain minor injuries to his face but did not require medical attention, police said. The merchandise was returned to the store.
Anyone with information on the second suspect is asked to call the APD or Amarillo Crime Stoppers at (806)374-440. Online tips can be submitted by clicking here.
Deputies: Neighbor catches burglar in the act, held him at gunpoint
By Dal Kalsi
COWPENS, SC (FOX Carolina) -
Spartanburg County deputies said a burglary suspect was arrested after neighbors discovered him leaving the scene and held him at gunpoint until deputies arrived at the scene.
Deputies said they were called to a home on Double Branch Road in Cowpens shortly after 5 p.m. Monday.
Deputies arrived to find Jimmy Rhodes on his knees on the back porch with the homeowner pointing a gun at him.
Rhodes was placed in handcuffs while deputies investigated.
The neighbor told deputies he investigated when he heard the dog next door barking excessively and found the moped and damaged door. The suspect came out of the house after the neighbor called the homeowner, and he ordered the man to get down while he then called deputies.
Deputies said they found a screw driver on Rhodes’ person and saw tool marks near the latch of the back door.
The phone line to the house had been cut and deputies said the master bedroom was in disarray with items strewn across the room.
Rhodes was charged with burglary second degree, petit larceny, and possession of tools used in a crime.
Read more: http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/31536232/deputies-neighbor-catches-burglar-in-the-act-held-him-at-gunpoint#ixzz45Q7rhjmb
Homeowner shoots suspect in the face after attempted home invasion
By Antonio Castelan
A South Las Vegas homeowner ended up shooting a man trying to get through the family doggie door. Witnesses say the man was on a home invasion rampage before he was shot in the face.
The attempted home invasion occurred in a residential neighborhood near Cactus Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard.
Nicole Slokken says the intruder banged on her door before he was shot. She remembers getting a call from a neighbor about the suspect hitting her door.
"She said, 'Are you ok? Are you ok? Someone is trying to kick down your door.' I said, 'Oh my gosh!'" said Slokken.
Slokken will never forget the night her neighbor called her. She tells us right after midnight Friday a man went on a home invasion rampage on her street.
"Break in the door kicking it and trying to break it down," said Slokken.
The man was not successful in getting through the front door, so neighbors say he went to a home next to Slokken's.
Witnesses say the man armed with a 12-inch knife tried getting through the doggie door. The homeowner ended up shooting the man in the face.
"I think it was very brave," said Slokken. "I'm glad he did it. It made me feel better -- that he's armed."
The home invader was taken to the hospital. We are told he has now recovered and is in jail.
Slokken found the suspect's cell phone outside her house.
Neighbors say the man tried forcefully entering at least three homes on the street. The brash break in has people at this South Las Vegas community concerned.
Caroline Galanza lives in the neighborhood.
"It was really, really scary," said Galanza. "I kept on thinking 'I can't eat,' the following day. I'm 77-years old."
Slokken believes the outcome would've been different if her neighbor had not called her with a heads up and if her next door neighbor did not shoot the suspect.
"The detective told me the neighbor very well could have saved our lives," said Slokken.
Worker who pulled gun to stop stabbing attack at GM Tech Center says he was fired
WARREN, Mich. (WJBK) - A valet attendant who intervened in a stabbing at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren on Wednesday says he has been fired.
Didarul Sarder, an SP+ Valet Supervisor, was heading into work that morning when he heard the cry for help.
"The lady kept saying 'I'm dying, someone help' and it was just natural reaction," says Sarder. "I just see this lady getting stabbed. I only had like half a second to think and I unholstered my firearm and pointed it at her to drop the knife."
The stabbing happened right outside the main entrance of the central office building. Warren police say the suspect, a 32-year-old woman, came to see the employee. They argued in the lobby then went outside where the suspect pulled a knife, stabbing her multiple times in the neck, back and abdomen. The suspect has since been identified as the daughter of the victim.
Sarder says he told the woman to stay put until she was arrested by police.
FOX 2: "You probably saved this woman's life."
"I hope so, I hope she makes it," Sarder says. "Maybe those few seconds before the police arrived could be the difference between life and death."
The victim, identified as Stephanie Kerr, is in critical condition, and is lucky the stabbing didn't continue any longer, according to city officials. All of which is why Sarder says he was surprised to have been fired on the spot by a GM employee and then escorted off the property.
"He said, 'You shouldn't have had a firearm here. After this is done he needs to be escorted off the property. He's not welcome back here.' I was really bummed out. I got a little emotional," he says.
Sarder, who has a valid CPL, works for a company contracted by GM. He says he started working on the grounds in December and was never informed of a no-gun policy.
GM officials, however, deny firing Sarder and say in a statement, "Because this is an ongoing investigation we cannot comment. However, we can say GM has not requested the valet be dismissed.To our knowledge the valet remains an employee of the vendor."
Police and Mayor of Warren Jim Fouts say Sarder is a hero who should be honored.
"Had it not been for his quick action and quick thinking, pulling out his concealed weapon, she might have been murdered on site," Fouts said.
Sarder has no regrets.
"I would do it all over again," he said. "If I could save this woman's life over a job. I can get another job."
Kokomo woman thwarts armed robbery by showing suspect her gun
KOKOMO, Ind. – Police arrested an armed robbery suspect after they say he attempted to rob a woman at gunpoint.
The incident occurred in the 2200 block of North Buckeye on May 12 around 5:45 a.m. A female told police that she was walking to her residence when she was confronted by a man standing by her entry door. She said the man displayed a gun, and he threatened her and demanded her money. That’s when she said she pulled out her own gun, and the suspect ran away.
Additionally, around the same time police responded to a report of a resident confronting an armed suspect in his home in the 2500 block of North Armstrong. The victim told police the suspect pointed a firearm at him and fled the scene on foot.
Kokomo police located a man matching the suspect’s description in the area. The suspect was taken back to the scene, and he was positively identified. Officers say they found a stolen handgun where they located him, and during their investigation, they found stolen property from the residence on North Armstrong.
The suspect was identified as Jaylin Bolden, 19, of Kokomo. He was arrested and charged with burglary while armed with a deadly weapon, attempted robbery, two counts of pointing a firearm, possession of stolen property, and two counts of cruelty to animals.
Bolden is a person of interest in additional home invasions and assault investigations in the Kokomo area.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call Detective Scott Purtee at 765-456-7322, or the KPD hotline at 765-456-7017. You may qualify for a cash reward by reporting your anonymous tip to Central Indiana Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
The Armed Citizen® July 8, 2016
Bad guys who think that the elderly and disabled make an easy target better think twice. An elderly man in Missouri, who relies on an oxygen tank, got the better of two ruffians who broke into his home as part of an attempt to steal the man’s prescription drugs. The armed citizen was acquainted with one of the would-be thieves, police said, but apparently the bad guy didn’t know him well enough to know that he kept a gun for defensive purposes. The two men approached the door and knocked. Since the homeowner recognized one of them, he opened the door. The suspects, one of whom had a mask over his face, bulled themselves in, pushed the resident aside and started to rifle through his belongings. The citizen grabbed his gun and shot one intruder in the abdomen. (dailyjournalonline.com, Park Hills, MO, 4/1/16)
The Armed Citizen® July 11, 2016
Police officers responding to a report of gunshots in Georgia learned that a disabled veteran used his Smith & Wesson M&P to save his life. The man said he was awakened early in the morning when two men, claiming to be police, tried to break into his mobile home. When he checked a video surveillance device, though, the resident had a good idea that they were not police officers. The two armed thugs allegedly fired at the homeowner first, who fired back. No one was injured, but the bullet holes that pock-marked the man’s trailer were visible for the real police to see. “My gun saved my life,” the man told reporters afterward. (WTOC, Savannah, GA, 3/30/16)
A San Antonio man was fortunate to have his gun with him when he became the victim of an attempted carjacking. The man and his passenger were stopped at a red light around midnight when a vehicle pulled up beside them. A thug with a gun then got out of the automobile, attempted to pull the driver from his car and, when he encountered resistance, fired twice at the victim. This prompted the armed citizen to draw his own handgun and return fire at his assailant. The suspect then fled back into his vehicle and sped away, however, he showed up at a local hospital a short time later with two gunshot wounds to the arm. The wounded carjacker now faces aggravated robbery charges after he was positively identified by the victim, who did not suffer any injuries during the altercation. (San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio, TX, 1/3/16)
Wheelchair-bound veteran shoots, kills intruder
A wheelchair-bound Vietnam veteran fatally shot a man who forced his way into the veteran’s residence, authorities said.
Eddie Frank Smith, 69, was at home in Monticello about 9 p.m. Thursday when Andre Smith, 22, (no known relation), forced his way into Eddie Frank Smith’s home through a rear door, according to a media release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, or GBI.
When Eddie Frank Smith went to investigate, Andre Smith lunged toward the resident. Eddie Frank Smith shot the intruder once in the chest, according to the GBI.
The intruder ran away and collapsed about 100 yards from the residence. Both Eddie Frank Smith and neighbors called 911. Andre Smith later died at Jasper Memorial Hospital.
An autopsy was performed on Andre Smith at the GBI crime lab in Decatur. The investigation continues, and results will be turned over to the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review, according to the GBI.
by: Steve Burns, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Walmart customers hold suspected purse thief at gunpoint
WICHITA, Kan. A gun was drawn Monday afternoon at a southeast Wichita Walmart as customers chased down a suspected thief.
Wichita police say a woman was loading groceries into her car in the parking lot of the store near Kellogg and Greenwich when a man walked by, snatched her purse out of the front of her cart and ran off.
Other customers who witnessed the purse-snatching chased the man. One customer, carrying a firearm, caught the man and held him at gunpoint until police arrived. The man was arrested for the theft.
The woman whose purse was taken by the man said she was appreciative of the assistance from the customers who helped her catch the suspected thief.
A 44-year-old man walked into a Tipp City, Ohio, restaurant and handed the hostess a note demanding money.
The employee complied, and as the robber was leaving the building, a concealed-carry instructor witnessed the crime and confronted the thief.
The suspect attempted to leave the scene in a vehicle, but the armed citizen held him at gunpoint until the authorities could arrive.
The culprit now faces one count of aggravated robbery. No injuries were reported. (Troy Daily News, Troy, OH, 11/28/15)
The Armed Citizen® April 29, 2016
Gut feelings paid off for a 65-year-old New Hampshire woman who ended up shooting a man who tried to mug her.
The unidentified grandmother said that she got a “funny feeling” when she pulled out of a gas station parking lot after a late night at work and noticed a dark sedan following her. As she walked from her car to her apartment, she said she saw a man getting out of that same car.
With that, she reached into her purse and got her hand around her legally owned handgun. The suspected mugger accosted her, and when he went to grab her, she pulled out her gun and shot him.
He was taken to a hospital and treated for the wound. The police are investigating the case. (New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester, NH, 1/5/16)
Mother shoots attempted break-in suspect who entered through baby’s window
by Matt Adams - Web Producer and James Gherardi
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (March 24, 2016) – A homeowner shot an intruder who tried to break into her Indianapolis home Thursday afternoon.
According to police dispatchers, officers received the call around 12:10 p.m. from a home in the 3200 block of West Banta Road. Family members told CBS4 that an infant was in the home when it happened. A mother heard the burglar get into the home through a window and then took out her pistol.
“She heard the window get busted and she called her husband and said I think somebody’s breaking in the house,” said Edsel Ballard, the woman’s father.
“He broke in through the baby’s window, ok, and when he was coming out the door, my sister was coming out her bedroom door, he aimed and shot at her first and then she shot him,” said Eddie Ballard, the woman’s brother
The woman exchanged gunfire with the burglar, family members said, and the intruder was hit multiple times. He was taken to an Indianapolis hospital, police said. Dispatchers said the intruder was also carrying zip ties and a walkie-talkie.
The infant was not hurt during the incident.
“This shooting is very unusual in this area of our district,” said IMPD Southwest District Commander Mike Spears.
Spears said incidents like this, in this section of the city are very rare. This portion of his district he said is quiet and is mostly residential.
“When we have an incident like this as we do throughout the city, involving the use of a firearm, it’s something we take very personally and we want to get in front of and investigate aggressively,” said Spears.
Police: Would-be robber fatally shot during Uptown hold-up
Mitchell Armentrout @mitchtrout | email
A man who was shot and killed while trying to rob two others in the Uptown neighborhood late Thursday has been identified.
Two 23-year-old men were unloading a vehicle in an alley in the 1000 block of West Winona about 10:30 p.m. when a 28-year-old man walked up and demanded their things, according to Chicago Police.
One of the younger men handed over his cellphone and wallet, but when the robber said he was taking the car, the other 23-year-old pulled out a gun and shot him multiple times, police said.
William C. George, 28, was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:59 a.m. Friday, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. George lived in the 7700 block of South Lowe.
Police said he had been on parole for a past armed robbery conviction.
An autopsy found George died of multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.
The shooter was licensed to have the weapon and was not charged, police said.
Armed robbers surrender after Cleveland deli worker draws gun
Ryllie Danylko, cleveland.comThe Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A man working at a West Side Cleveland deli turned the tables on two armed robbers Wednesday night when he drew his own weapon and forced the robbers to surrender.
Two men were arrested following the incident at Suleyman's Supermarket on the 3100 block of Marvin Avenue, police said. The suspects, a 19-year-old Parma man and an 18-year-old Cleveland man are in jail awaiting formal charges.
The deli owner, a 54-year-old North Olmsted man who asked to remain anonymous, said in an interview Thursday that if he wasn't armed, the robbers likely would have killed him and his friend.
"I was so panicked and scared," he said. "They would have killed both of us. What's going to stop them?"
The owner was manning the store about 9:45 p.m. and talking to a friend who was helping him run the shop, police reported. Two masked men burst into the pointing guns and demanded money.
A man walking by the store saw the two masked men enter the store with guns, reports show. He flagged down a passing police car.
Back inside the store, the owner emptied the register of about $300, police said. The robbers grabbed the cash and ran toward the front of the store.
The pair stopped when they saw an officer standing outside, the owner said. They turned around and ran toward the back of the store.
The man's friend grabbed a gun from behind the counter and ran after the robbers, reports show.
As one of the robbers entered the back room, the friend grabbed him slammed him into the wall, police said. The second robber hid in the bathroom.
The friend told police he tried to coax the robber out of the bathroom, saying "my gun is bigger than yours."
The robbers surrendered and begged the man not to shoot him, reports show. The friend ordered them to the ground and handed the owner his gun while he searched the robbers for weapons. He found a gun and a magazine in their pockets.
The friend then called 911, police reported. He told a dispatcher he was holding two armed robbers at gunpoint inside the store.
He eventually went outside to talk to the officers while the owner stayed inside with his gun trained on the robbers.
By this time, Cleveland police had called a SWAT team to handle the armed suspects, reports show.
The owner ordered the robbers to crawl out outside, where they were immediately arrested.
The suspects are expected to face charges of aggravated robbery.