Philadelphia homeowner fatally shoots trespasser for hurling a brick at SUV's glass
PHILADELPHIA: A homeowner in Philadelphia fatally shot an alleged trespasser who threw a stone through the window of his Alpha Romeo SUV on Wednesday night, March 16 just after 10:30 pm, police received a 911 report about gunfire in the 4400 block of Fairmount Avenue, where they discovered a wounded 23-year-old male laying between two residences, according to the station.
According to KYW-TV, he was shot three times in the chest and torso. WPVI reported that the man was brought to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. According to KYW, he was in critical condition and was pronounced deceased about an hour later.
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According to WPVI, the 23-year-old male allegedly broke into the back fenced-in area of a home on Fairmount Avenue and hurled a brick through the window of a 2018 Alfa Romeo SUV parked in the back yard. The 49-year-old homeowner heard the ruckus and went outside to confront the trespasser, shooting the man.
Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told WPVI, "We believe the homeowner fired at least three shots from a semi-automatic weapon. We found three spent shell casings in the backyard area." Small said that "preliminary information" shows the homeowner "does have a permit to carry a weapon" and that "we believe that he was in his back yard when he confronted the 23-year-old, who broke into his vehicle using that brick, and the vehicle is inside of the enclosed back yard of the 49-year-old homeowner. But detectives are talking to that homeowner right now."
According to KYW, police discovered a brick inside the homeowner's vehicle, surrounded by shattered glass. Small told WPVI that the 23-year-old male ran approximately half a block before falling. According to KYW, officers have yet to identify him. Small told WPVI that the 23-year-old victim is known to police and that his last known residence is two blocks from where the incident occurred.
According to KYW, police have the homeowner's gun and he's fully participating in their investigation. Prior to the shooting, police received several complaints of a masked guy trespassing behind residences in the neighborhood, according to Small, and one call claimed a man was breaking into a vehicle. Small told WPVI, "We believe these calls are related to the shooting."