Homeowner fights knife-wielding, would-be burglar who escapes with stunt right out of 'Batman'



A homeowner in Tacoma, Washington, was awakened just before midnight earlier this month by a loud thud that sounded as though it was coming from his roof, KCPQ-TV reported.

So the homeowner went to check out what was happening and saw someone trying to break in from the fourth-floor balcony, the station said.

Then things got downright bizarre.

The homeowner confronted the intruder, and a fight broke out, KCPQ reported. The homeowner punched the suspect several times, and the suspect swiped at the homeowner with a knife, the station said, adding that the homeowner wasn't seriously hurt.

The suspect was apparently armed with two knives and possibly scissors, the station said.

Then things got downright bizarre — with a stunt right out of "Batman."

KCPQ said the suspect dropped from the fourth-floor balcony and landed on the third-floor balcony — and then jumped to the ground from there.

The suspect ran off, got in his vehicle, and drove away, KCPQ said.

The homeowner got in his vehicle and chased the suspect before losing sight of him, the station said, adding that the victim returned home and called 911.

The homeowner told responding law enforcement personnel that he didn't recognize the suspect, KCPQ reported.

More from the station:

When detectives later released a Crime Stoppers bulletin about the crime, a family member of the suspect identified him to police. The family member said that he had just gotten out of the hospital and didn't know where he was. The relative also told detectives that the suspect had bipolar disorder and that his mental health had been declining.

KCPQ said police arrested the suspect and took him into custody without incident Sunday, adding that the attempted burglary took place May 12.

The suspect has been identified as 33-year-old Adam Groetsch, the station said, adding that he's being held in the Pierce County Jail on first-degree attempted burglary and second-degree assault charges with bail set at $75,000. Groetsch was still in jail Friday afternoon, jail records indicate.

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Intruder emerges from woods, jumps over gate, repeatedly kicks door after family retreats inside home. Then homeowner grabs gun and ends threat.



A Virginia homeowner fatally shot a man who jumped a gate at his residence and tried to kick in a door after the family retreated inside Monday afternoon.

What are the details?

“The family had spotted the individual coming out of the woods behind the home, and the family had gone inside the home, and this person came onto the deck and began kicking the door,” Maj. Ron Montgomery of the York-Poquoson sheriff's office told WAVY-TV in regard to the scary 5 p.m. encounter

The sheriff's office said the family locked the door after retreating inside their home in the 300 block of Corvette Drive in Williamsburg, which is about an hour southeast of Richmond.

Montgomery told WAVY the intruder didn’t have a weapon but tried multiple times to get inside, adding that the homeowner’s goal was was to protect his family.

“That was his big concern,” Montgomery added to the station. “The door had been locked, and when he started kicking the door to make entry into the house."

He told WAVY that’s when the homeowner shot the intruder.

What happened next?

The sheriff's office got a call about a breaking and entering and that a person had been shot. Upon arriving at the home, deputies found an adult male who had been shot by the homeowner.

WAVY said the man’s body was found on the back deck.

The sheriff's office said it has tentatively identified the man but hadn't yet been able to notify his next of kin.

Investigators told the station no one has been charged.

“This is very abnormal for this neighborhood,” Montgomery added to WAVY. “It’s a quiet neighborhood.”

Anything else?

Montgomery told the station that York County's residents should be vigilant.

“If you have someone who’s trespassing on your property that you’re concerned about, I would encourage you to dial 911 immediately,” he added to WAVY. “Nationally, we are seeing a lot more handgun violence and a lot more of these situations where burglaries or larcenies are occurring, so I think nationally that is a trend, and what we’ve learned here in York County, although we have a very low crime rate, that doesn’t mean we are going to be immune from these types of crimes.”

Woman says she was standing in her kitchen when a man tried to break through back door. So she opened fire, killing him.



A homeowner in Kansas City, Missouri, told WDAF-TV she was standing in her kitchen Saturday morning when a man tried to break in through the back door.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

With that, she opened fire, the station said.

The man was taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries, WDAF added.

What else do we know?

Police responded to a call around 11:15 a.m. in regard to a reported prowler — but soon the call was upgraded to a shooting, the station said.

When officers arrived at the residence near E. 80th Street and Euclid Avenue, officers found a man sho, WDAF reported.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

A neighbor told the station he conversed with the fatally shot man just prior to the shooting.

Edward Rogers noted to WDAF that "some guy was trying to break into her house" and that the homeowner apparently told the man who was shot, "No, this is private property."

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Rogers also told the station that "the guy asked me, 'Does anybody live in this house?' Did I know anybody that lives here. Have I known anybody that’s been around here, and I said no."

Person of interest arrested, released

The Kansas City Star reported that a person of interest was taken into custody. Officer Donna Drake, a spokeswoman for the police department, added to the paper that "we have everybody accounted for that’s involved in this situation."

Police on Monday confirmed to TheBlaze that a person of interest was arrested and later released but did not say if that individual is the woman noted in WDAF's account of the incident.

Police added to TheBlaze that investigators will submit a case file to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office for determination of any possible charges.

Police also told WDAF they were still seeking more information related to the incident.

Kansas City Police investigating after homeowner allegedly shoots intruderyoutu.be