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Armed homeowner comes face to face with alleged burglar — and things don't end well for the uninvited individual
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images

Armed homeowner comes face to face with alleged burglar — and things don't end well for the uninvited individual

'If you're going to break into someone's home, you're going to risk dying'

An Oklahoma City homeowner was checking on his property Wednesday night when he encountered an alleged burglar and shot the individual, police told KOTV-TV.

Police told the station the alleged burglar later died at a hospital.

What are the details?

Several neighbors told KOCO-TV the homeowner has been battling break-ins of late.

"You have to understand, if you're going to break into someone's home, you're going to risk dying," neighbor Camille Jones added to KOCO.

Neighbors also told KOCO they've been dealing with recent break-ins as well.

"How do we protect ourselves, and how do we protect our neighbors?" Jones asked KOCO.

James Jacobs, another neighbor, told KOTV the homeowner — whom he's known for more than 30 years — doesn't live at the home and uses it for storage. But he was there just hours before the shooting in order to fix a fence, the station said.

Jacobs added to KOTV he was helping the homeowner with the job: "It has been broken into a couple times, and we were talking about how we could make the place look better and more secure."

The homeowner left and came back to the property around 8 p.m., which was when he caught the alleged burglar, KOTV reported.

Jones told KOCO it was "just a matter of time" before someone got hurt because of the break-ins.

What happened after the shooting?

Police stayed at the property through the night as the investigation carried over into the following day, KOTV said, adding that homicide detectives interviewed the homeowner and released him pending further investigation.

While Jacobs called the circumstances "terrible," he noted to KOTV that his friend has "all rights to be there anytime he wants to. If somebody breaks [in] over there, he has a right to defend himself."

"That guy could have been after me!" Jacobs added to KOCO, noting he would've done the same thing to a burglar, and that "you have to stand your ground."

The case has been handed to the district attorney who will determine if the property owner will face any charges, KOCO said, adding that police haven't said if the alleged burglar was armed.

Police didn't release the names of the homeowner or the alleged burglar, KOTV reported.

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