CALAVERAS COUNTY, FLORIDA — A man broke into the same home two days in a row, but on his second attempt, he was shot dead by one of the homeowners. It’s a bizarre story that involves new homeowners, a talk with police, and not being able to give things up.
When deputies arrived, two men in the front of the home said that an unknown man, later identified as 28-year-old Lennin Elizalde, had kicked down the front door and began assaulting them. One of the men then told deputies that he had shot the intruder in self-defense.
via kcra.com
Elizalde was pronounced dead at the scene.
On the first day Elizalde broke into the home, he fled before police arrived. It was the day that the new homeowners had moved in, and had noticed that he broke in through a side door. The family of Elizalde owned the home prior to the new homeowners, and he apparently believed that it was still his.
A few hours later, Elizalde was found and arrested.
He was later arrested by patrol deputies on illegal entry, possession of meth and vandalism charges. While being taken to jail, Elizalde told the deputy that he believed the home was still his property and he planned on going back.
With that conversation, the deputy submitted an application to get Elizalde’s bail increased, but it was denied by a judge because the charges were all misdemeanors.
Then, just as he had promised, Elizalde went back to the home the following day, roughly 13 hours after his arrest.
This time, however, one of the new homeowners opened fire after Elizalde reportedly tried forcing his way into the home.
It seems that this suspect had a drug problem, and likely other problems to go along with it. While you wish everyone were able to get their lives on the right track, that simply isn’t the case. If threatened, self-defense is a right that is available to everyone in this Country, and that’s exactly what the new homeowners utilized.
The new homeowners were not arrested, although the investigation continues.