Homeowner Kills Intruder In West Pullman
Updated 08/08/13 - 5:22 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A West Pullman neighborhood homeowner killed an apparent burglar who had broken into his garage overnight.
CBS 2's Susanna Song reports 44-year-old Mark Hayes, his wife, and two teenage kids were sleeping in their home near State and Brayton streets, when the alarm in their garage went off around 3:15 a.m. Thursday.
The homeowner grabbed a knife from the house and went to the garage to check. When he got there, he saw an intruder come after him with a hammer.
Homeowner Kills Intruder In West Pullman
Police said the two wrestled on the ground, and Hayes stabbed the intruder.
"They came face-to-face, and that's when he stabbed him," said Melvin Hayes, the homeowner's father.
He said his son did what he had to, in order to survive. He said his son heard the intruder talking about a gun, and thought the burglar might have been talking to an accomplice.
"I think he's thinking about survival. If someone said 'Get the gun,' what would you do? I think you'd try to protect yourself. That's more common sense than anything else to me," Melvin said. "I'd actually be a little afraid that there really is another person there someplace that I don't see."
Police said the suspect fled the scene, and left a trail of blood for about a block, then it appears he hopped into a car. Either someone else or the burglar himself drove to Roseland Community Hospital, where he died. The suspect was identified as Harold Connell.
Mark Hayes works for a cable company, and keeps several power tools stored in his garage, and it wasn't the first time his garage was burglarized.
"There were some break-ins in the garage before, and years ago in the house also, so he went with an alarm system," Melvin said.
Police were questioning Mark Hayes about the incident, but a police source said it's unlikely he'll face charges.
