Flip Guard
By Todd Hill Journal News
BUCYRUS — A would-be burglar was stopped in his tracks early Monday morning when a homeowner held the man at bay until police arrived.
Bucyrus police received a call from a resident in the 100 block of South Spring Street at 3:12 a.m. Monday, reporting that a man had broken into his house.
“The homeowner had a utility knife, basically a box cutter,” police Chief David Koepke said.
The homeowner is a 25-year-old man, while the suspect, also male, is 27 and was transported to the Crawford County Justice Center pending possible felony burglary charges.
“In this particular case holding the offender is a loose, vague term. The victim was in his bedroom and the man walked in. The victim was holding the knife in self-defense. And the offender appeared to be highly intoxicated and was compliant,” Koepke said.
Police advise homeowners who are the victim of a home invasion or who suspect one to call 911.
“If you can’t do so because of circumstances, then just dial the number and keep the line open so we can find you,” Koepke said.
“We have a problem with burglaries everywhere, in rural areas as well as in town. It’s no more a problem on that particular block than elsewhere.”
The Bucyrus Police Department reported six felony arrests for burglary and attempted burglary in 2013, although that number was down from 12 in 2012. The department made more arrests than the year before, however, in 11 crime categories, with the biggest jump in drug possession. Overall, the police department’s 110 felony arrests in 2013 compared with 64 in 2012.
Victims of home invasions, particularly those who feel compelled to use deadly force to defend life and property, are widely protected under the state’s self-defense law, especially following the inclusion of so-called “castle law” provisions in 2008 and 2011, now in effect in nearly all 50 states.
Before then, victims in the state were required to retreat before using a weapon. Now they are presumed to have acted in self-defense, and if they’re charged with a crime, the prosecution must prove the intruder did not enter the house, or vehicle, with an intent to cause harm, according to the Ohio State Bar Association.
In addition, offenders in Ohio cannot now recover damages for injuries received from their victims while engaged in a criminal act.
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