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Crime

Thief Shot and Killed With AR-15 After Burglarizing Oregon Home — But You Won’t Believe How It Happened

Mar. 4, 2013 5:15pm Jason Howerton

Thief Shot and Killed After Burglarizing at Least Two Oregon Homes But You Wont Believe How It Happened

MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 18: In this photo illustration a Rock River Arms AR-15 rifle is seen on December 18, 2012 in Miami, Florida. Credit: Getty Images

Police in Polk County, Ore. found a suspected burglar dead inside a stolen truck Sunday morning. They say he burglarized a home twice the night before, stealing several items, including two guns.

In a statement, investigators said 19-year-old Genaro Hernandez Mendoza of West Salem, Ore. was heading to his family’s farm when he broke into a home on Independence Highway and stole several items. He then returned to the farm and hid the stolen items behind a barn.

Police say he then stole a pickup truck and returned to the same home he had already burglarized to steal more items, including a shotgun and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

Detective John Williams says investigators found a shotgun and the rifle Sunday morning, side by side on the passenger-side floorboard of a stolen farm truck, barrels pointed at the driver.

Williams says it appears that a lever on the shotgun got into the trigger guard of the rifle. When the truck hit a bump in the road, the rifle fired once, striking and killing Mendoza in a freak accident.

However, Sheriff Bob Wolfe said police are still investigating the incident to make sure no other parties were involved in the burglary. He added that it seemed clear that Mendoza’s death was accidental and the result of failing to safely store the weapons he stole.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story has been updated.

Featured image via shutterstock.com

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Comments (335)

Morphosis2000
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 6:09pm
By the way…what was the capacity of the marauding AR’s magazine?

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Morphosis2000
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 6:07pm
AR’s and Scatterguns go together like peas and carrots…

Maybe we should make sure all politicians have shotguns and AR’s!

I like this part of the Hope and Change crap…

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msjoe43
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 6:03pm
2 stolen inanimate objects shotgun and the AR-15 rifle — Inanimate objects by definition is an object that has no life bearing parts — came together and discharge in a stolen pick-up truck driven by the killed buglarizer 19-year-old Genaro Hernandez Mendoza of West Salem, Oregon . . . bad mojo.

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cptenn94
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 6:01pm
Im sure the media, will find someway to blame the ar-15. We all realize it was actually the murderous bump in the road that killed the guy. So now beacuse that one bump is murderous, lets ban all road bumps. Because even one life killed by this bump, is one to many.

BAN ALL ROADBUMPS!!

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Mahakala
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 6:01pm
roflmao

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regmgr
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:58pm
If Obama had a Son! Oh excuse me I guess that’s the wrong story. Did they check his birth certificate? He may not have been born in the good old USA. Guess no one will look into that.

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Dark_Night
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:57pm
Natural selection at work, although from the way it sounds it didn’t have to work very hard.

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HUSSAR
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:56pm
Well there goes the “Guns don’t kill people…” argument.
But damn I love Karma :)

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Exidor
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:55pm
For God’s sake people, we have got stop trucks from shooting people!!!!

I actually think this guy is too stupid to drive a truck.

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FlagWavingPatriot
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:54pm
That’s a one-in-a-million situation if that’s the way it really happened. I can’t help wondering if there’s more to that story.

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GuruMeditation
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:50pm
Works for me.

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firman
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:47pm
“100 slimeballs tryin to steal an AR, 100 slimeballs tryin to steal. If one of those slimeballs should steal your AR, 99 slimeballs left to steal an AR” nice catchy tune. Sing it on your next road trip.

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katzmeow44
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:46pm
This is like something right out of Final Destination! Death will find you no matter where you hide! muahaha….

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- MacWell
  Posted on March 5, 2013 at 2:15am
  EXCELLENT!
  Well said Katz.
  
  Report this comment
RaydocX
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:45pm
OMG… Guns Do kill people… bad people.

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Mr.Fitnah
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:43pm
Teh awesome.

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Fried Okra
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:41pm
What the heck is all this “adtrack” redirect my iPhone to the application Candy Crush Saga??!!

I go to the main page… It kicks on. … At articles…

Granted its not every time. But it is 60% of the time

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- The-Monk
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 6:38pm
  Hi Fried Okra,
  
  Are you talking about pop-ups at this site?
  
  Report this comment
Shamrock241
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:41pm
I am still not seeing the story about a burglar shot by an AR15, only a story about a burglar killed by a shot gun. I am BEGGING you Beck please fire these incompetant people, I’m so tired of there misleading headlines.

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bondroid
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:39pm
Hey, whatever gets the job done…. : )

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HOOT_OWL
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:38pm
Guess what both firearms were used in the commision of a crime…One shot the thief the other pulled the trigger ”meaning”The owner of the firearms will probably not have them returned him.
There’s the real thief.

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poetopoet
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:38pm
His parents are going to sue their arse off, the safety was not in Spanish.

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firman
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:37pm
One less dirtbag to support and deal with.

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PoliticallyRightUs.Com
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:37pm
#1 It appears I was wrong… guns do kill people
#2 Poetic Justice
#3 Talk about an act of God!
#4 Well, I know this will pi*s*s off every liberal troll on this site but… One less dirt ball in the world!
Have a nice day :)

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Robert Treat Paine
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:36pm
Does the concept of a safety come into this? But hell, if he’s stupid enough to burgle, he’s not smart enough to set the safety.

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MDECKER
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:35pm
Just wait! The family of the deceased burglar will probably sue. They will claim the weapons were not stored in a secure container and that the owner failed to properly train the burglar in the safe handling of stolen weapons.

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1in11-twist
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:34pm
WHY DOES THE BLAZE USE A PHOTO WITH A CAPTION THAT IS A COMPLETE LIE!!!!!!!!!!!! It has been reported by the police and confirmed the AR found in the assailants trunk was not, get it, NOT used in the killing of the students at Sandy Hooks. The coroner confirmed the victims were killed with pistols. Why is this lie being perpetuated?????

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- Irememberamerica
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:55pm
  That lie was glaring.
  Gee… and all this time I thought the TRUTH lived here.
  
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