Sheriff: Baker County Homeowner Shoots Intruder Several Times
POSTED: Thursday, December 29, 2005
UPDATED: 5:38 pm EST December 29,
2005
MACCLENNY, Fla. -- The Baker County Sheriff's Office said a homeowner shot a 23-year-old intruder about 1:30 a.m. Thursday.
Officials said Paul Thrift awoke to noises in his house and found his electricity and telephones were not working. He then confronted two brothers who allegedly broke through the front door with a boat anchor they found in a shed.
According to deputies, when the intruders entered Thrift's bedroom, he fired several shots at Richard Munoz. He was critically injured and flown to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center.
Munoz's 17-year-old brother, who was not shot, ran from the home, which sits on a large, wooded lot. When he was caught a short time later, he asked if his brother was still alive.
According to Sheriff Joey Dobson, Munoz had a gun and was apparently prepared to use it.
"The firearm was out and it was cocked," Dobson said. "We have no idea, really, why he would have been going into this house."
According to the police report, the younger brother told investigators: "Me and Richard were just riding around and Richard told me he wanted to go break into somebody's home."
Thrift's wife did not want to be interviewed, but did tell Channel 4's Jim Piggott that this was a terrifying ordeal -- waking up and having a burglar standing in your bedroom. She also said she hoped this might teach somebody a lesson about breaking into an occupied house.
The case was turned over to the State Attorney's Office, who will decide what charges to file against the two.
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