Lauderhill, Florida

From the Miami Herald of January 25, 2006

Lauderhill woman shoots home intruder

A Lauderhill woman shot an elderly intruder in the stomach, after he broke into her two-story townhouse apartment early Wednesday morning and refused to leave, Lauderhill police said.

One of the woman's three young children first spotted the man inside their home, at 5925 N.W. 23rd Street, around 6:30 a.m..

The child told their mother, who demanded that the man leave. When he refused, she shot him, police said.

Someone inside the home then called 9-1-1, and the man was transported to Broward General Medical Center in stable condition, police said.

It is not clear that anything was stolen from the home, and no charges have yet been filed in connection to the case. Lauderhill detectives are continuing their investigation.

From the Miami Herald of January 26, 2006

Mom of 4 shoots 'naked' intruder

A woman shot a man in the stomach early Wednesday after he removed his clothes, entered her Lauderhill town house and refused to leave.

Michelle Carroll was upstairs in her Lauderhill town house when she heard her 7-year-old son yell that there was a man in the house.

Carroll rushed downstairs to see a naked man sitting on a chair in the first floor of the home, her family later said.

The man wouldn't leave, and she pulled the trigger of her handgun.

The bullet struck the man once in the stomach.

''She asked him to leave several times and then he wouldn't leave,'' said her cousin Lindey Carroll. ``He walked toward her, and she shot him.''

Someone inside the house called 911. The man ran and was outside the house when rescue workers arrived, police said.

The unidentified intruder was taken to Broward General Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition late Wednesday, said Lauderhill police Lt. Tundra King.

Police would not release the man's name on Wednesday. Detectives were interviewing the man and were trying to speak to his relatives, King said.

Police said they don't know how the man got into the beige, two-story town house in the 5900 block of Northwest 23rd Street.

The woman lives in the home with her four children, between the ages of 7 and 14.

While state records show a Michele R. Ware listed at the woman's address, family members said her name is Michelle Carroll. Police would not confirm her name.

Investigators were looking into whether one of the children in the home may have left a door or window unlocked.

When Michelle Carroll came downstairs, the front door was open, a family member said.

''We don't see any signs of forced entry,'' King said.

Police said they could not confirm that the man was naked, but bloody clothes were found outside on the sidewalk near the town house. The man did not know her, King said.

''She was protecting her kids,'' Lindey Carroll said.

Michelle Carroll was too upset to talk about the incident, Lindey Carroll said.

``She's just trying to calm down and settle down. She is scared.''

It was unclear whether anything was stolen from the home, and no charges had been filed as of Wednesday night.

The incident occurred in a safe neighborhood full of families, said Marie Egleton, whose mother lives on the street.

''It's a lot of families that live down this row, and everyone looks out for everyone's children,'' she said.

From the Miami Herald of January 28, 2006

Intruder shot inside home was confused

A man who was wounded when he refused to leave a Lauderhill home was missing from his group home.

The 68-year-old man who was shot by a homeowner when he entered her home was mentally confused and came from a nearby retirement home, Lauderhill police say.

Jack Teitelbaum, who had been at the Retirement Life Center at 5640 NW 28th St., had taken off some of his clothes and shoes and wandered down to Michele Ware's townhouse less than a mile away.

When Teitelbaum wouldn't leave, Ware grabbed a handgun and shot him once in the stomach area, according to Lauderhill police Lt. Tundra King.

Teitelbaum was in good condition late Friday at Broward General Medical Center.

There will be no charges in the case, King said.

''We don't feel the gentleman was aware of where he was and what took place,'' King said.

``The young lady wouldn't have known he had mental health issues. It's a sad story on both ends.''

Workers at the home had noticed Teitelbaum was missing and called police.

Several assisted living facilities are in the same area of Lauderhill. They allow residents to come and go as they please, King said.

When residents get lost, they are reported missing.

''If they are gone for several hours, normally the workers are pretty good about reporting them missing,'' King said.

How Teitelbaum got inside Ware's two-story townhouse is unknown, she said.

Four children were inside the townhouse getting ready for school about 6:40 a.m. Wednesday. Ware's son came downstairs and saw Teitelbaum sitting in a living room chair.

His pants were around his ankles, and he was wearing a long T-shirt, King said.

'She says, `Get out. Get out. What are you doing here? Get out.' And he just stood there,'' King said.

Ware got her Glock 9 mm handgun, closed her eyes and fired one shot.

Someone called 911 to report the incident just before Ware fired, King said.

Eventually Ware got on the phone, saying she had shot Teitelbaum and asking for the police.

Teitelbaum remembers nothing of the incident.

''Now we kind of understand why. We don't know if he even understood anything she was telling him,'' King said.