Crime can be a real pain in the behind for those who target the wrong people, even in California.
That appears to be the lesson from an early morning burglary at a San Francisco home, where a 73-year-old Army Vietnam War veteran said he shot an alleged intruder during a physical confrontation inside his home this past weekend.
According to CBS News, the break-in happened shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday in the city’s Sunset District.
Neighbor surveillance footage obtained by CBS showed a man walking back and forth in the area for about 40 minutes before the break-in.
The homeowner, whose name was withheld by the outlet over concerns for his safety, said the suspect drilled a hole through his first-floor wooden door to unlock it and make his way inside.
“A professional burglar cut his way into my home,” the Vietnam War veteran told CBS.
The homeowner said he had been asleep on the third floor when noises from the burglary roused him.
He said he grabbed his handgun and went downstairs to investigate what was happening inside his home.
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On the second floor, he encountered a burglar dressed in black with his face covered. The veteran said he not only faced the intruder, but the man was accompanied by a large dog.
The veteran chose to fight after he was attacked, he said.
“He kind of grabbed me, and I fell to my hands and knees, and I shot him because physically I felt really threatened,” he said.
He added, “He had already made a deep intrusion into my home.”
The homeowner said he fired a single shot during the struggle.
The round reportedly struck the man in the buttocks, and the man fled — leaving behind a trail of blood and his dog.
The veteran suffered minor scrapes to his hands and knees.
He said Animal Control later took custody of the abandoned dog, which was described as a husky.
San Francisco police later detained an injured man matching the description of the wounded burglar about three miles away, but the man was not immediately identified.
Police said paramedics took the man to San Francisco General Hospital, where he was recovering from non-life-threatening injuries.
A neighbor of the veteran praised his actions to defend himself and his home.
“Our neighbor is really something special,” a man named Michael told CBS. “He’s definitely got a heroic side to him. He’s a real, true vet.”
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