A man attempting to burglarize a Paradise Township, Penn., home found out that he picked the wrong residence when the homeowner, a Vietnam War veteran, defended his property with a firearm on Oct. 18, 2020.
The incident started around 4:45 p.m. that Sunday when a 38-year-old man from Bronx, N.Y., who police said was under the influence of drugs at the time, walked up to the residence. The owner of the home, a 72-year-old Vietnam vet, noticed a figure standing out front of his home while sitting in a chair in the living room. The homeowner then got up and went to the front door to talk to the individual.
The man then started telling the homeowner to call police and that a gang was trying to kill him. The homeowner then called authorities as the stranger asked and began to report what he had said. While on the phone with police and standing in his garage, the homeowner then heard a crash in his house. The stranger had broken through a window into the home.
Still on the phone with police, the homeowner confronted the would-be burglar in the kitchen and pulled out his pistol. He then held the intruder at gunpoint for 10 minutes until state police arrived. The homeowner said his experience from the war helped him keep composure during the incident, in which no shots were fired. The burglar was charged with criminal trespass, simple assault and criminal mischief. (wnep.com, Scranton, Penn., 10/20/2020)
From the Armed Citizen® Archives June 1982
Rev. Martin Jarreau was asleep in the rectory of St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Miami when he heard strange noises. He grabbed a .38-cal. revolver and went to investigate. He found a would-be burglar trying to exit via a bathroom window. Fr. Jarreau held the man, who had a long criminal record, for police. (The Herald, Miami, FL)