Tucson, Arizona

From the Tucson Citizen of June 29, 2006

Homeowner fights off intruders with gun

Home invasion suspects this morning exchanged shots with a Southwest Side homeowner awakened by the sound of someone trying to break into his home, the Sheriff's Department said.

The home owner was not wounded and it could not be determined if either of two suspects were hit, said Tony Portrey, a sheriff's dispatch supervisor.

It could not be learned early this morning if the home invasion is thought related to six others committed during an eight hour period from Sunday to Monday morning in the metro area.

One man was killed at his home on South Beardslee Drive in those home invastions, three men were arrested and law officers said they still were searching for two other young men in the cases.

In today's home invasion, on South Sparrow Avenue, near West Los Reales Road and South Camino de Oeste, the homeowner, whose name was not released this morning, was awakened about 3:20 a.m. by the sound of someone trying to break in through a wrought iron security door with a crow bar, Portrey quoted deputies as saying in an initial report.

The homeowner yelled, "freeze," and got a pistol.

Looking out of his house he spotted two vehicles, a car and a pickup, on a dirt road near his property. One was described only as a white sedan, possibly a Nissan or Honda Accord, and a dark-colored Chevrolet pickup.

Both vehicles started to leave, then stopped and the homeowner heard gunshots coming from the vehicles, Portrey said.

The home owner fired three shots and the suspects, described only as two men ages 18 to 20.