Mark Tyson
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Pr. George's Man Shoots, Kills Intruder
By Ruben Castaneda
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 21, 2004; Page B08
An Adelphi man fatally shot a would-be burglar who was trying to break into his house yesterday, Prince George's County police said.
The 9 a.m. shooting marked the second time in five months that a Prince George's resident fatally shot someone during an attempted crime. The Adelphi man was not identified by police because the incident is under investigation and because he has not been charged, officials said. Police and neighbors said the man is in his sixties and lives alone. As of early last night, police had not identified the man who was killed. They said he appeared to be in his early twenties.
The state's attorney's office will review the case after police complete their investigation, authorities said.
"We want to find out the circumstances surrounding the shooting and whether there's an argument for self-defense," State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said yesterday. "It's still too early to tell which way this is going to go."
Among the factors prosecutors will consider is whether the alleged burglar was shot in the back or front of his body, and whether he was running away or trying to break in when he was shot, Ivey said.
The shooting occurred in the 1900 block of Ruatan Street, in a neighborhood of one- and two-story brick ramblers between the major thoroughfares of Riggs Road and New Hampshire Avenue.
According to police, the younger man broke into the garage through a small window and then tried to get into the house. When he was unable to enter the house through the garage, he went back out the broken window and then propped a ladder against the house and tried to enter through a second-story window, police said.
While the younger man was on or near the ladder, the resident came out with a handgun and fired a number of shots, police said. At least one hit the younger man, who ran about 100 yards into nearby woods and collapsed, police said.
He was taken to Washington Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Richard Ferrufino, 19, who lives across the street from where the shooting occurred, said he was awakened by the gunfire.
"I just heard three gunshots in a row," Ferrufino said. "I went to my window and I saw my neighbor standing in his yard, looking down. Then he calmly walked back to his house."
In the other recent shooting, a Laurel man fired on four people who were trying to break into his SUV in September, killing a 16-year-old boy and seriously wounding a 23-year-old man. A grand jury indicted the SUV owner, Glenn R. Ellis, 37, on murder and other charges. He is scheduled to go on trial in May.
By Ruben Castaneda
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 21, 2004; Page B08
An Adelphi man fatally shot a would-be burglar who was trying to break into his house yesterday, Prince George's County police said.
The 9 a.m. shooting marked the second time in five months that a Prince George's resident fatally shot someone during an attempted crime. The Adelphi man was not identified by police because the incident is under investigation and because he has not been charged, officials said. Police and neighbors said the man is in his sixties and lives alone. As of early last night, police had not identified the man who was killed. They said he appeared to be in his early twenties.
The state's attorney's office will review the case after police complete their investigation, authorities said.
"We want to find out the circumstances surrounding the shooting and whether there's an argument for self-defense," State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said yesterday. "It's still too early to tell which way this is going to go."
Among the factors prosecutors will consider is whether the alleged burglar was shot in the back or front of his body, and whether he was running away or trying to break in when he was shot, Ivey said.
The shooting occurred in the 1900 block of Ruatan Street, in a neighborhood of one- and two-story brick ramblers between the major thoroughfares of Riggs Road and New Hampshire Avenue.
According to police, the younger man broke into the garage through a small window and then tried to get into the house. When he was unable to enter the house through the garage, he went back out the broken window and then propped a ladder against the house and tried to enter through a second-story window, police said.
While the younger man was on or near the ladder, the resident came out with a handgun and fired a number of shots, police said. At least one hit the younger man, who ran about 100 yards into nearby woods and collapsed, police said.
He was taken to Washington Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Richard Ferrufino, 19, who lives across the street from where the shooting occurred, said he was awakened by the gunfire.
"I just heard three gunshots in a row," Ferrufino said. "I went to my window and I saw my neighbor standing in his yard, looking down. Then he calmly walked back to his house."
In the other recent shooting, a Laurel man fired on four people who were trying to break into his SUV in September, killing a 16-year-old boy and seriously wounding a 23-year-old man. A grand jury indicted the SUV owner, Glenn R. Ellis, 37, on murder and other charges. He is scheduled to go on trial in May.
