Fort Wayne, Indiana

From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette of September 29, 2005

Homeowner shoots out tire on van linked to theft spree

Sheriff’s officers were investigating a series of home burglaries Wednesday in southwest Allen County that they say are connected.

A homeowner called the Allen County Sheriff’s Department about 10:34 a.m. Wednesday after he arrived at his home in the 16000 block of Aboite Road and discovered a dark-colored van parked in his driveway and a stack of electronic equipment, said Steve Stone, sheriff’s department spokesman.

The homeowner grabbed a shotgun from his home and shot out one of the tires on the van, then went to a neighbor’s home and called police, Stone said.

Sheriff’s officers and troopers with the Indiana State Police closed in on the residence and found no one, a sheriff’s department report said.

A state police plane patrolled the area looking for suspects.

During a four-hour search, police found two other burglarized homes.

One was in the 11000 block of Yoder Road and the other was in the 8100 block of Lafayette Center Road.

The Aboite Road homeowner didn’t see any burglars and did not know whether there was more than one person, Stone said.