BAILEY, NORTH CAROLINA – After breaking into a home and attacking a female occupant with a hammer, a man was shot by another resident on Monday night and now faces criminal charges.
Bailey police officers responded to a 911 call from the home on Old Middlesex Road. When they arrived, they found a man with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to WakeMed hospital and was listed in stable condition.
The Nash County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation. According to their report, the suspect, identified as Jose Luiz Arizpe, 34, of Elm City, broke into the home. He then attacked a female occupant with a hammer and was then shot multiple times by an armed occupant of the home. The resident called 911 after the shooting occurred and is cooperating with the investigation.
A NCSO spokesperson said that Arizpe will be charged with first-degree burglary and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury when he is released from the hospital. Authorities did not release the names of either the male or female victims, nor did they describe the type or extent of any injuries that the occupants may have received.
North Carolina residents are protected by “Castle Doctrine” in the use of lethal force to protect persons and property from those who enter a dwelling unlawfully. While a hammer is an effective tool for breaking into homes, it’s not very effective in protecting one from gunfire or returning fire. What’s the old saying? Don’t bring a (hammer) to a gunfight?