Last week a Cornville, Ariz., man in his 80s was awakened at 4:30 a.m. by what sounded like someone rifling through cabinets in his home. Instinctively, he grabbed his handgun to investigate—and confronted a man attempting a robbery.
The octogenarian ordered the man to lie on the floor as the suspect “begged the homeowner not to shoot him,” sheriff’s spokesman Dwight D’Evelyn told The Daily Courier. The suspect escaped when the homeowner left to call police.
Investigators said the burglar entered the house through an open window, and while searching the neighborhood D’Evelyn stated that “deputies noticed several homes with open windows and front doors with security screens.” He continued, “Average security screen doors do not afford the same protection as securely installed solid-core doors with a quality deadbolt, and unlocked windows provide the opportunity for prowlers to access the home.”
