Woman Shoots Man Found Sleeping Inside Her Del. Home
By Steve Beck and Jan Carabeo
STANTON, Del. (CBS) -- Police have now identified the man they say was caught sleeping in a woman's New Castle County home and then ended up shot by the homeowner.
Delaware State Police say Gregory Alexander, 21, will be charged with criminal trespass once he is released from the hospital. He is recovering Tuesday after being shot in the buttocks by a homeowner in Stanton.
The shooting happened just before 6 a.m. Tuesday on the 1900 block of West Newport Pike. A homeowner and her 17-year-old son were checking on the vacant property. Neighbors say she was renovating the home following her father's death.
Police say it's a daily visit made by the pair, but on Tuesday, they found an uninvited guest.
When they arrived, police say they noticed the lights were off, which was unusual. And once inside, the pair discovered a man sleeping in a second floor bedroom.
"There was a physical confrontation between the female homeowner, her son and the male subject," Delaware State Police Corporal Jeffrey Hale said.
Turns out, the homeowner had a handgun with her, and investigators say she shot the suspect in the buttocks before he ran away.
Police caught up to Alexander just blocks away and took him into custody.
At this point, police say it's unclear if he was just a squatting.
"He was asleep in the house, so it may look that way, but we're unsure at this point," Hale said.
However police do say Alexander is homeless.
Neighbors say the home has been subject to break-ins in the past.
"The house has been vacant for months," neighbor George Fox said. "What I hear is people have been breaking in, taking stuff and even partying."
Others are praising their neighbor for her quick action.
"If someone wanted to break into my house, I'd want to do the same thing," Lou Fournarakis said.
Alexander was taken to the hospital in good condition.
The homeowner and her son suffered minor injuries during the scuffle but refused treatment.
Police say the homeowner legally owns and possesses her gun.
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