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Man shoots burglar stealing from his neighbor

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By James Cummings, Staff Writer Updated 7:49 AM Monday, July 20, 2009

DAYTON — A burglar was shot in the leg and critically wounded after he struck a man who confronted him about stealing from a neighbor’s vehicle on Rosemont Boulevard early Monday morning, according to Sgt. Mark Ponichtera of the Dayton police.

Ponichtera said a resident of the 1400 block of Rosement Boulevard in East Dayton came home from a drive-in movie Monday morning about 2:30 a.m. Sunday. He had his wife and children in the car with him.

As the man, whose name was not released, drove down Rosemont, he saw a man in his neighbor’s driveway around the neighbor’s work van, Ponichtera said. The door of the van was open, and the man could see the burglar had pulled property out of the van.

The man got out of his car, leaving his wife and children in the vehicle, and confronted the burglar. The man said he was calling the police and demanded that the burglar leave the items he had taken from the work van, Ponichtera said.

Instead of leaving, the burglar approached his confronter and punched him, Ponichtera said. The man was carrying a handgun which was fired striking the burglar in the leg.

Ponichtera said the burglar, who was not identified, was badly wounded, and an ambulance took him to Miaimi Valley Hospital. At the hospital, the man was listed in critical but stable condition.

Ponichtera said the neighbor who confronted the burglar was taken to the police station to be interviewed. He said circumstances of the shooting will be reported to the Montgomery County Prosecutor's office to determine if the man stepped beyond the law in the use of his gun.

"In general, though, people have the right to protect their families and their homes," he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2395 or jcummings@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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