Suspected burglar shot and killed by Pierce County homeowner
A suspected burglar was shot and killed after breaking into a Pierce County house early Sunday, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
The break-in occurred about 5:20 a.m. in the 20700 block of 46th Avenue East in the Elk Plain area.
The homeowner, a man in his 50s who lives there with his elderly mother, allegedly heard rustling in the home.
“He arms himself with a handgun and goes looking for the noise,” sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said. “The burglar came at him, and he shot him.”
The burglar was found standing next to a safe, detectives said.
A stool was found next to a broken window, leading investigators to believe that is how he entered the house.
The suspected burglar, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
It was not immediately clear if the suspect was armed.
The homeowner was not arrested.
This story was originally published June 7, 2020 at 5:03 PM.
