Armed resident sends Wright County burglars fleeing

Two were arrested after Wright County home invasion in which homeowner chased them with gun.

Star Tribune

Last update: April 18, 2008 - 12:53 AM

A homeowner who chased off two burglars and shot at one of them might have provided the clue that led Wright County deputies to the suspects.

The homeowner awoke about 5:50 a.m. Tuesday to find two thieves in his Victor Township house. He grabbed his gun and fired as he chased one of them down the stairs and into the yard. The suspect got in a Chevy Tahoe that had been reported stolen and took off, the sheriff said.

The homeowner went back inside and found that the second suspect had fled out a window and that several items had been taken, the sheriff said.

Tuesday afternoon, deputies found the Tahoe at an elementary school in Cokato, Minn., with a bullet hole in the side.

That night, deputies investigating a call about a car prowler in Cokato found and arrested a 20-year-old man from Blaine on outstanding warrants. He provided information tied to the home invasion, the sheriff said.

Deputies then searched the apartment of another man, and they found two men and most of the items taken in the home invasion, a news release said.

Police arrested an 18-year-old Coon Rapids man and a 24-year-old from Cokato. Charges are pending. The men also are suspects in two bank robberies in Cokato.

TIM HARLOW