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Man confronts intruders, killing 1Homeowner says men fired at him
The News Journal/BOB HERBERT New Castle County Detective Franklin Robinson points out a bullet hole Thursday in Roselle.
Stephen L. Norwood
By TERRI SANGINITI
The News Journal
11/11/2005
A 60-year-old avid sportsman turned the tables on a pair of armed men Thursday by returning their gunfire, killing one of them after they broke into his Roselle home in the middle of the night, police said.
Police said the pair ambushed the man and fired at him sometime after midnight in his dining room at his home near Elsmere.
After the exchange of gunfire, the two ran out of the victim's Woodward Avenue home.
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The homeowner, Thomas Morganstern, who was not struck by either of the two bullets fired at him, shot at the intruders with a handgun, police said. Authorities released the homeowner's name after deciding he would not be charged with a crime.
Morganstern called 911 at about 12:30 a.m. to report a burglary with shots fired. He was unaware at the time that he had shot the intruders.
County officers with K-9 dogs arrived to search the neighborhood. Officers were able to follow a trail of blood to a detached garage next to the man's home where they found Cleveland Richardson, 28, of the 500 block of N. Harrison St. in Wilmington.
He was bleeding from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was taken to Christiana Hospital and was reported in good condition Thursday after surgery.
Officers, however, could not find the second man, later identified as Stephen L. Norwood. They stopped the search due to rain and resumed at daybreak.
County police Cpl. Mark Tobin and his K-9 partner, Nike, found Norwood's body at about 8:45 a.m. underneath bushes across the street from the Morganstern's house. Norwood, 26, of the 1800 block of Faulkland Road in Prices Corner, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Area resident John Olah said he was in a rush to get to work Thursday morning and didn't pay attention to the search. But when he returned home at 10 a.m., he found a search centered in his rear yard.
"I found out that somebody's dead in my backyard," Olah said.
Norwood had suffered gunshot wounds to the torso and arm. A handgun was recovered near his body, Navarro said.
Richardson faces charges of first-degree attempted murder, first-degree burglary, possession of a firearm during a felony and conspiracy, Navarro said.
Area residents say they understand their neighbor's action.
Gretta Talamini and her grandmother Elizabeth Jankowski, 86, said their neighbor was a good man who recently lost his wife.
"It's a very quiet neighborhood," Jankowski said. "I think anyone would be concerned about what happened. I certainly don't want it to happen again. Apparently, he was defending himself."
Investigators later discovered that the men had first broken into the Morganstern's garage, found the keys to the car and home and got into the house through the back door.
After questioning Morganstern, detectives learned he was awakened by the intruders when they came into his bedroom on the second floor. They ran off when the man woke up. Before running downstairs, Morganstern armed himself with a handgun. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, the intruders tried to ambush him, Navarro said.
"The intruders shoot twice and the victim returns fire in the direction of the muzzle fire and flash light and hits both men," Navarro said. "One got out the front door and the other ran out the back door. The victim retreated to his room to call police."
Navarro was unable to confirm Thursday if Morganstern legally owns the guns in his house.
Elsmere Police Chief Neil Strauss said there have not been any similar break-ins in the area.
"We're basically familiar with the two of them," Strauss said. "But we don't have any burglaries with the method of operation like they did last night."
According to court records, Norwood was convicted in Sept. 2003 of disorderly conduct. He pleaded guilty on Aug. 24, 1998, to possession and use of a controlled substance. He also pleaded guilty June 8 of that year to second-degree burglary, theft under $1,000 and receiving stolen property.
Richardson was convicted in 1996 of carrying a concealed deadly weapon, terroristic threatening, possession and use of marijuana and criminal contempt, according to court records. In 1997, he pleaded guilty to possession of a deadly weapon by a person prohibited. In 2001, he was convicted of first-degree reckless endangering and endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal mischief.
Staff reporter Sean O'Sullivan contributed to this story. Contact Terri Sanginiti at 324-2771 or [email protected].
Note the reporter injecting a litt;le antigun bias by asking the police spokesman if the homeowner owned his handgun legally
The News Journal/BOB HERBERT New Castle County Detective Franklin Robinson points out a bullet hole Thursday in Roselle.
Stephen L. Norwood
By TERRI SANGINITI
The News Journal
11/11/2005
A 60-year-old avid sportsman turned the tables on a pair of armed men Thursday by returning their gunfire, killing one of them after they broke into his Roselle home in the middle of the night, police said.
Police said the pair ambushed the man and fired at him sometime after midnight in his dining room at his home near Elsmere.
After the exchange of gunfire, the two ran out of the victim's Woodward Avenue home.
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The homeowner, Thomas Morganstern, who was not struck by either of the two bullets fired at him, shot at the intruders with a handgun, police said. Authorities released the homeowner's name after deciding he would not be charged with a crime.
Morganstern called 911 at about 12:30 a.m. to report a burglary with shots fired. He was unaware at the time that he had shot the intruders.
County officers with K-9 dogs arrived to search the neighborhood. Officers were able to follow a trail of blood to a detached garage next to the man's home where they found Cleveland Richardson, 28, of the 500 block of N. Harrison St. in Wilmington.
He was bleeding from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was taken to Christiana Hospital and was reported in good condition Thursday after surgery.
Officers, however, could not find the second man, later identified as Stephen L. Norwood. They stopped the search due to rain and resumed at daybreak.
County police Cpl. Mark Tobin and his K-9 partner, Nike, found Norwood's body at about 8:45 a.m. underneath bushes across the street from the Morganstern's house. Norwood, 26, of the 1800 block of Faulkland Road in Prices Corner, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Area resident John Olah said he was in a rush to get to work Thursday morning and didn't pay attention to the search. But when he returned home at 10 a.m., he found a search centered in his rear yard.
"I found out that somebody's dead in my backyard," Olah said.
Norwood had suffered gunshot wounds to the torso and arm. A handgun was recovered near his body, Navarro said.
Richardson faces charges of first-degree attempted murder, first-degree burglary, possession of a firearm during a felony and conspiracy, Navarro said.
Area residents say they understand their neighbor's action.
Gretta Talamini and her grandmother Elizabeth Jankowski, 86, said their neighbor was a good man who recently lost his wife.
"It's a very quiet neighborhood," Jankowski said. "I think anyone would be concerned about what happened. I certainly don't want it to happen again. Apparently, he was defending himself."
Investigators later discovered that the men had first broken into the Morganstern's garage, found the keys to the car and home and got into the house through the back door.
After questioning Morganstern, detectives learned he was awakened by the intruders when they came into his bedroom on the second floor. They ran off when the man woke up. Before running downstairs, Morganstern armed himself with a handgun. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, the intruders tried to ambush him, Navarro said.
"The intruders shoot twice and the victim returns fire in the direction of the muzzle fire and flash light and hits both men," Navarro said. "One got out the front door and the other ran out the back door. The victim retreated to his room to call police."
Navarro was unable to confirm Thursday if Morganstern legally owns the guns in his house.
Elsmere Police Chief Neil Strauss said there have not been any similar break-ins in the area.
"We're basically familiar with the two of them," Strauss said. "But we don't have any burglaries with the method of operation like they did last night."
According to court records, Norwood was convicted in Sept. 2003 of disorderly conduct. He pleaded guilty on Aug. 24, 1998, to possession and use of a controlled substance. He also pleaded guilty June 8 of that year to second-degree burglary, theft under $1,000 and receiving stolen property.
Richardson was convicted in 1996 of carrying a concealed deadly weapon, terroristic threatening, possession and use of marijuana and criminal contempt, according to court records. In 1997, he pleaded guilty to possession of a deadly weapon by a person prohibited. In 2001, he was convicted of first-degree reckless endangering and endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal mischief.
Staff reporter Sean O'Sullivan contributed to this story. Contact Terri Sanginiti at 324-2771 or [email protected].
Note the reporter injecting a litt;le antigun bias by asking the police spokesman if the homeowner owned his handgun legally
