Marine Shot During Robbery: "I'm Not Running From A Fight"
DEERFIELD BEACH (CBSMiami) -- A South Florida Marine Corps officer who was shot by would-be robbers has been released from the hospital just nine days after being wounded and doctors said he has made an amazing recovery.
Lt. Col. Karl Trenker was admitted to North Broward Medical Center on Dec. 21st after he traveled from his home in Miramar to Deerfield Beach to sell a necklace his fiancée advertised on Craigslist.
Trenker was shot multiple times after meeting with two men who supposedly wanted to buy the necklace.
"I'm very grateful. I believe. according to my faith. that someone was watching over me there at that scene because it could have turned out worse. Ten shots were fired," said Trenker before he left the hospital Friday.
Trenker is one tough marine. After being shot in the chest, stomach, shoulder and back of his head, he chased the men on foot after they grabbed the necklace and ran. He even used his fingers to plug bullet holes in his body after the shooting.
"I have two bullets that penetrated and I have a groove down the back of my skull and a groove down my left shoulder," he explained. "It's a little upsetting that it's so dangerous, I mean you hear about crime and things on the news but it just doesn't seem as realistic until it happens to you."
Trenker, who has been a Marine for 29 years, said he feels he did the right thing.
"I'm a Marine, I'm not going to run from a fight and you don't want a Marine to run from a fight, bottom line and it's just the way I looked at it. Call me crazy or call me stupid. I got shot once and it just angered me more and I wanted to get this guy and then I got shot twice and I re-evaluated that decision and figured I need to stay alive."
Trenker served tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan and is now stationed in Miami.
His fiancée said she's extremely relieved he's alive.
"I waited my entire life for this man," said fiancée Tanya Saiz. "He can't leave me now. He's the love of my live and I'm just so incredibly thankful, so incredibly thankful. We are thanking God."
The two suspects are both jailed without bail on attempted murder and robbery charges.
Trenker said he plans to fully recover at a secret location with his fiancée.
