Over the weekend, a New Mexico store owner shot and killed a burglar who had tunneled trough a wall in order to break into the store. The owner had been sleeping at his store to prevent break-ins and the move seems to have paid off. According to the Albuquerque Police Department, officers responded to a shooting at 4:30 a.m. and found the burglar dead upon arrival. The owner told reporters that there had been numerous attempted break-ins to his smoke shop before the incident.
He continued on, saying that he was woken up by a strange scratching noise to find that the thief had completely tunneled his way through the wall and into his store. The burglar than began attacking him with a large hammer and a chisel, which caused the owner to fear for his life.
According to Fox:
According to the owner, he warned the burglar to leave the premises, or he would shoot, but he claimed the burglar walked toward him swinging causing him to open fire.
The suspected burglar was declared dead when police arrived at the scene.
Police said they are investigating the incident as a “justifiable homicide” and the owner was released after speaking with detectives.
The store owner told KOB 4 News that he has boarded up the hole and would soon be installing cameras.
The Albuquerque Police Department says detectives are working with the District Attorney’s Office as they continue to investigate the business owner’s claims of self-defense. For now, ADP is classifying the case a “justifiable homicide.”
