Appearance of rifle thwarts would-be robber in Cambria

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

Sheriff's deputies are looking for a man who attempted to rob a Cambria home Sunday night.
A couple was in their home on Lone Palm Drive around 7:45 p.m. when they heard a pounding on a rear sliding glass door, according to sheriff's officials. When the husband shined a flashlight toward the noise, he saw a person wearing a ski mask kicking at the glass.
The husband told his wife to call 911, and he got a loaded rifle from a nearby closet. When the homeowner returned to the sliding glass door, the masked man apparently looked at the rifle and ran away.

Deputies and state parks rangers searched the area on foot and with a K9, but could not find the man.
"Masked suspects attempting home invasion burglaries in this area is unusual," said Commander Ken Conway of the Sheriff's Department.

Link here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/breaking_news/story/595455.html


It's unusual to read about these cases in the paper. I guess the call to 911 and subsequent search prompted the news report.

David

[spin]

1. Unless a firearm is discharged or someone is injured or killed...

a story just doesn't make the news.

I remember two incidents I heard from co-workers that never made it into print...

One co-worker described an incident where his wife told him a peeping tom was peering into their bedroom window. He carefully entered the dark bedroom with a revolver in his hand, crouched and approached the window. He then popped up with the firearm and confronted the peeper. His backyard was adjacent to a cemetery and he laughed as he described the guy running away and jumping over the tombstones.

Another co-worker had a similar story. When told by his wife that there was a prowler in the back yard, he told his wife to call the police, grabbed his small pistol and went out the front door to investigate. He was sneaking around the side of the house just as the prowler was sneaking around the rear of the house. As h turned the corner, he found himself face to face with the prowler. Instinctively he swatted the man in the head with his gun hand. The firearm discharged by the bad guy's head.

He then held the man at gunpoint until the police arrived. When the police took the perp into custody, they were upset because he had crapped his pants when the firearm discharged beside his ear.

Note: it is never a good idea to go outside your home to confront a prowler.

[jeepnstein]

2. What kind of rifle?

I'm surprised it didn't just jump out of the closet and go on a murderous rampage. The fellow should be arrested for scaring the poor criminal. Criminals have rights, you know? Somebody could have been killed.

[Statistical]

3. The criminal's confidence was "assaulted" so I guess it was an "assault rifle" (n/t)

[jeepnstein]

5. Ooohhh!!!!

I bet it was the flash hider that scared him, or maybe the shoulder thingie that goes up. They are terribly menacing.

There are ways to soften the appearance. You know make them more appropriate for polite society...

[alexandria]

6. We need to ban these assault rifles..

They are just to dangerous some innocent criminal is going to get hurt..

And a bump for this funny thread...

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

8. Interesting.

People at DU usually say "kick" instead of "bump."

[Iktomiwicasa]

7. Obviously...

...the rifle in question wasn't an "assault" rifle, or surely it would have filled the homeowner with bloodlust and triggered a massacre.

[slackmaster]

4. Good defensive use of firearm

The homeowner acted within the law, and nobody got hurt.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

9. Kicked