A gun-toting business owner caught a would-be burglar in the act Sunday, but the suspect risked being shot to get away before police arrived.
The owner of an automotive shop in the 200 block of Dallas Drive in Denton was doing paperwork Sunday morning when he heard banging noises, according to a police report released Monday. He walked to the back of the shop and saw a man trying to use a screwdriver and hammer to force open a rollup door, according to the report.
The shop owner told police that the suspect started approaching him, so he raised a handgun he keeps with him at work and told the suspect to get on his knees and stay there. He then called 911 from a cellphone.
The shop owner told police the suspect then started begging to leave, saying he was homeless, had a family and had already been to prison. When the shop owner said officers were coming, the suspect stood and said, "You're just going to have to shoot me" and ran away, according to the report.
The shop owner told police he thought about shooting the suspect but decided it wasn't worth it and didn't pursue him.
Officers arrived within three minutes of the call but couldn't find the suspect, according to the report.
The shop owner described the suspect as black, about 5-foot-11, 170 pounds and 40 years old. His head was shaved, and he was wearing blue jeans and black shirt, according to the report.
Other reports
6400 block of North Interstate 35 - An Oklahoma man said he sought refuge from a hail storm at a truck stop late Sunday morning only to discover that someone stole items from his motorcycle while he was inside, according to a Denton police report.
The thief took two leather bags and their contents, including clothes and phone chargers, according to the report. The items were valued at $2,000.
No address given - A man reported to Denton County sheriff's deputies Friday that someone used his personal information to fraudulently file a federal tax return. The man said he sent his tax information to a processor to file his return online April 22, but the Internal Revenue Service denied the return because his taxes had been filed already, according to a sheriff's office report.
The man said he had no idea who used his personal information.
Roundup
From 7 a.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Monday:
• Denton police handled 614 service and officer-initiated calls, including 10 thefts, three building burglaries, two vehicle thefts, two vehicle burglaries, two runaways, two welfare concerns, one sexual assault, one attempted sexual assault and one disturbance.
• Denton County sheriff's dispatchers handled 1,442 service and officer-initiated calls for the agencies they serve, and 103 people were booked into county jail. Deputies took reports of three thefts, two domestic disturbances, two criminal mischief cases, two forgeries and one vehicle theft.
• Denton firefighters responded to 49 medical calls, five vehicle accidents, two good-intent calls, two fire alarms, two smoke investigations, two trash fires, two other fires, one request for public service, one grass fire, one cooking fire, one request to assist an invalid, one bomb scare, one lightning strike, one false call and one case of arcing shorted electrical equipment.
Argyle firefighters responded to six medical calls, two traffic accidents, two requests for mutual aid, one fire alarm, one electrical fire, one request to assist a citizen, one report of downed power lines, one smoke investigation, one road blockage hazard and one welfare concern.
Aubrey firefighters responded to five medical calls, two traffic accidents, one fire alarm, one disturbance, one odor investigation and one report of suspicious activity.
Double Oak firefighters responded to one medical call.
Krum firefighters responded to two structure fires, two medical calls, two welfare concerns, one disturbance, one chemical fire, one unknown-type fire and one traffic accident.
Lake Cities firefighters responded to six medical calls, two requests for mutual aid, two traffic accidents, one fire alarm, one structure fire, one request to assist a citizen and one disturbance.
Oak Point firefighters responded to one medical call.
Ponder firefighters responded to two medical calls, one chemical fire, one structure fire, one unknown-type fire, one traffic accident and one welfare concern.
Pilot Point firefighters responded to four medical calls, three reports of downed power lines, two structure fires, one vehicle fire and one road blockage hazard.
Sanger firefighters responded to five medical calls, three structure fires, two traffic accidents, one request to assist a citizen, one disturbance, one chemical fire, one illegal-burn fire, one unknown-type fire and one request to unlock a vehicle.
LOWELL BROWN can be reached at 940-566-6882. His e-mail address is lmbrown@dentonrc.com .
Denton County Crime Stoppers will pay a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest in these or other crimes. Callers will remain anonymous. Call 1-800-388-TIPS (8477). Reach the Denton police narcotics tip line at 940-565-5801.
