Shelby County homeowner shoots would-be intruder

PLEASANT VIEW, Ind. (WISH) - After repeated attempts to tell a would-be intruder to go away, a Shelby County resident shot the man through a door early Thursday morning, Shelby County Sheriff’s Department officials say.

The incident began before 4 a.m. Thursday in a home in the 8200 block of West Sycamore Street, in the Shelby County community of Pleasant View.

Lourdes Geise says she woke up to hear a banging on the door. At first, she thought it was one of her children.

Geise said, “We almost opened the door to try to help somebody, then my husband started yelling, ‘Who is it, what do you want?’”

Shelby County Detective Daniel Crafton said the homeowner had a verbal exchange with the attempted intruder, with the home owner asking, who was there, and the man demanding that he open up.

Lourdes adds, “They were just yelling crazy stuff and then that's when we figured out it wasn't someone trying to get help.. it was somebody else.”

Lourdes says her husband Richard continued to try to get the man to go away before going upstairs to retrieve a handgun.

Crafton said when multiple attempts failed and the suspect began removing a wood panel from the door, the resident fired one shot, striking the suspect.

Lourdes said, “He broke down the door, he was coming in. It seemed like ten minutes, we were waiting and waiting for police to get here.”

After being shot, the suspect went around to another door of the house, banging on it. He then sat on the home’s deck, where the homeowner told him to stay until police arrived.

She added, “After he was shot, he went and tried to get in the back door, and that's just not a normal response.”

Crafton said, “The homeowner gave him every opportunity to leave, in fact he wishes he would have. The homeowner, by his credit, waited until the last possible moment to protect his family and that's what he had to do.”

Lourdes added, “It's concerning in the middle of the night, when you’re not even prepared for anybody.. and we hope he's okay.”

The sheriff’s department later identified the suspect as Reginald A. Daniel, 19, Fountaintown. He was taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital for treatment. Just after 9 a.m., Shelby County officials said the man was released from the hospital.

The bullet grazed his elbow, entered his side and exited his buttock. He's likely to face a preliminary charge of residential entry, though other charges are possible. He was being held Thursday afternoon at the Shelby County Jail.

Crafton said the homeowner was shaken up that he had to fire on someone trying to break into his house. He said the homeowner won't face charges.