Armed son checking into possible burglary at mom's home says intruder turned toward him with object in his hand. Unwise.



A gun-toting son who was checking into a possible burglary at his mother's vacant West Virginia home in the middle of the night this week told authorities he indeed encountered an intruder — who turned toward him with an object in his hand.

Unwise move on the part of the intruder.

The alleged intruder he shot was identified as 38-year-old Joshua Boone of Williamsport, Maryland.

The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office said a male called dispatch around 3:45 a.m. Wednesday saying he just shot an intruder in his mother's Inwood home on Winchester Avenue.

Deputies responded to the scene and found a male with a gunshot wound lying face down in the residence.

Deputies performed life saving measures until emergency medical services arrived, and the sheriff's office said the male was pronounced dead shortly after the arrival of EMS.

The sheriff's office said the Department of Criminal Investigators was called to the residence to process the scene for evidence and conduct an investigation into the shooting death.

The investigation revealed that the man who pulled the trigger responded to the residence after being told about a possible burglary.

The alleged intruder he shot was identified as 38-year-old Joshua Boone of Williamsport, Maryland. Police said Boone's next of kin were notified about his death.

WDVM-TV identified the man who shot Boone as Michael Marshal, noting that he told deputies Boone turned toward him “with something in his hand” after which Marshal fired his handgun. The station said Boone was found with a gunshot wound in the garage of the residence.

The case will be presented to the Berkeley County Prosecutors Office upon the completion of the investigation. Anyone with information about this case is advised to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 304-267-7000.

Image source: Berkeley County (W. Va.) Sheriff's Office

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Elderly homeowner fatally shoots burglary suspect after struggle in residence during early morning hours, cops say



An elderly New Mexico homeowner fatally shot a burglary suspect after a struggle in the homeowner's residence over the weekend, Española police said. Española is about a half-hour north of Santa Fe.

What are the details?

Police said they got a call early Saturday morning about a burglary in progress in the 500 block of Middle San Pedro Road.

Police said arriving officers learned an elderly homeowner confronted the burglary suspect in the residence, after which a struggle ensued, and the homeowner shot the suspect at least once.

The burglary suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

"This is an ongoing and active investigation, and further details will be provided in the coming days," police added.

How are people reacting?

Commenters underneath the police department's Facebook post about the incident are giving plenty of kudos to the elderly homeowner:

  • "The homeowner has every right to protect himself and his property," one commenter wrote. "It's called the Second Amendment. The governor can use a lesson on it and this incident."
  • "While I am grateful the elder homeowner is physically fine, what about the mental status[?]" another user wondered. "And I hope the elder doesn’t get charged because our country is so far left that RIGHT is wrong and WRONG is right! We need our guns! My comment isn’t up for debate, so if you want to pick a fight do it with yourself, I’m stating my thoughts."
  • "FAFO good for the homeowner. It’s time we take matters into our own hands," another commenter declared. "Nothing is being done in this town to curb the crime. Drugs and homelessness [are] out of control. ..."
  • "Prayers for peace for the homeowner," another user implored. "God watch over this family."
  • "And remember the left wants to take your guns," another commenter opined. "This is why the right to bear arms is so important. Don’t make yourself a victim; you deserve the right to stand up for yourself."

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'I went Mike Tyson on him': Homeowner speaks out after giving illegal alien theft gang member 'major beat down' after catching him in the act



A California homeowner recently gave an illegal immigrant burglary suspect a major pummeling after returning home to find the thief and at least one partner rummaging through his home.

What happened?

Sal Mercado pulled into the driveway of his Oak Park home on April 1 to find a car parked out front and two burglars inside his home — and that's when his fight-or-flight instincts kicked in. For Mercado, it was clearly the former.

The homeowner rushed inside, where he confronted one suspect and allegedly delivered a staggering blow before the suspect got up and fled the area, being driven away in a getaway car.

"He starts to go through the side of me to get out of the house, but I went BAM with the right cross, and he went down onto the grass of the front yard, picked himself up, and ran to the car," Mercado recalled in an interview with KABC-TV after the harrowing incident.

A second suspect, later identified as Alexis Provoste Aranguiz, wasn't so fortunate. Mercado confronted him as he came down the stairs, his hands filled with jewelry and electronics. According to KTTV-TV, Mercado handed him a "major beat down" before deputies arrived on the scene.

"He came at me ... I didn't know if he had weapons before anything could happen," the homeowner said. "I just went BAM with the right, BAM with the left ... I went Mike Tyson on him. He stumbled then he fell on the grass coming out of the house."

As Mercado detained Aranguiz, he reportedly shouted for neighbors to call the police. But then, suddenly, the suspect broke free and started to run away — so Mercado went after him again.

"I tackled him and shoved him into the bushes on the side of my house again," he recounted. "The way I tackled him ... grabbing his arms, pulling them back, pin them on the back, and then put my full weight on his head, but he was all bloody and my whole arms were bloody."


Shortly after, police arrived at the home and arrested the suspect.

What else?

Aranguiz, 43, of Chile, now faces charges of felony first-degree residential burglary and felony conspiracy, according to KTLA-TV. He is currently being held on a $150,000 bond.

Investigators said he is a suspected member of a South American theft gang. In recent years, thieves from South America have traveled up to California in cohorts for the purpose of burglarizing homes. Authorities have dubbed the practice "crime tourism."

Just last month, four such gang members were arrested in Camarillo, KABC noted.

The other suspected burglars, including the driver of the getaway vehicle, reportedly remain at large.

Mercado said he is just "very fortunate and blessed" that the burglars weren't armed with any weapons. But he noted that, regardless of the circumstances, his reaction probably would have been the same.

"I just didn’t give him a chance, just hit him, because first of all, I don’t know if he has a gun, a knife, any kind of weapon, right? You just don’t know. Your mind goes crazy," he told KTLA.

In a statement to the public, the Ventura County sheriff's office said, "We ask our residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to local law enforcement. My office will continue to work aggressively with our law enforcement partners to charge and prosecute South American Theft Groups and crews that target residential communities."

Suspected members of South American theft group confronted by homeowner in SoCal l ABC7 www.youtube.com