Man With Sword Confronts Burglars, Gets Shot
Three Men Enter Home Wearing Ski Masks, Dark ClothingPOSTED: 12:19 pm MDT October 3, 2005
UPDATED: 6:50 pm MDT October 3, 2005
LONE TREE, Colo. -- A 20-year-old man in Lone Tree is recovering from his injuries after he confronted three burglars in his home with a samurai sword and was shot in the leg.
The man is in stable condition at a local hospital. Police have not released his identity, 7NEWS reported.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Department said a woman called 911 just after 12:30 a.m. Monday, saying that her boyfriend was jolted awake by a noise inside the home. The woman said when her boyfriend went to investigate the noise, he saw three masked men rifling through the house, grabbing money and other valuables.
When the masked men fled the house through a side door in the garage, the victim then grabbed a sword and went out the front door to confront them, 7NEWS reported. That is when one of the burglars turned around and fired a single shot at the victim, authorities said.
Neighbors said they heard a loud noise that sounded like fireworks and then they saw the burglars flee in a dark sedan.
"I saw two guys getting into a dark vehicle, I believe it was black, and they were heading north on Mercury Drive with no lights on," said a neighbor, who wanted to be identified only as Robin.
Police are looking for three men, described as a black man, a Hispanic man, and a white man.
The Hispanic suspect is said to be a husky or overweight man about 5 feet 6 inches tall, 150 pounds, with brown hair and dark black eyebrows. The black suspect was described as thin man with a light complexion who was about 5 feet 11 inches tall and between 130 to 140 pounds. The white suspect was said to be muscular, about 6 feet tall, and 150 to 160 pounds.
They were wearing ski masks and dark clothing from head to toe, including black gloves and black windbreaker pullovers, deputies said.
Investigators would not say how much money was taken or what valuables are missing. The home intrusion occurred in the 13000 block of Mercury Drive, near Park Meadows Mall.
Others who were in the home at the time were not hurt. The victim rents the home with three other men.
Investigators believe that the victim did not know the burglars and the crime was random.
Neighbors are a bit alarmed that burglars could be so brazen.
"It's scary. Maybe they were trying to get into my house and my dogs scared them off. I don't know," said Robin.
Deputies believe that the intruders entered the home through a side door connected to the garage.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Douglas County Sheriff's Office tip line at (303) 660-7579.
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