An attempted burglary in Englewood, Ohio, turned deadly early Friday morning when a homeowner shot and killed the alleged intruder. The incident occurred at a residence around 2 a.m., and authorities are now investigating what they say appears to be a clear case of self-defense.
According to WDTN, the homeowner’s girlfriend called 911 after he woke her up to alert her that it sounded like someone was breaking into their home.
“I was just woken out of my sleep,” the woman told the 911 operator. “My boyfriend said to grab our gun. I don’t know what’s going on.”
During the 911 call, the boyfriend can be heard identifying the suspect as a white male and noting that the back windows of the home had been broken. Just moments later, three gunshots rang out in the background of the call, prompting screams from the woman as she informed the dispatcher of shots fired.
Englewood Police arrived to find the suspect, later identified by the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office as 43-year-old Matthew Culham, lying dead in the yard. Police Chief Corey Follick told reporters that the boyfriend confronted Culham outside the home, and when Culham came at him, the boyfriend fired in self-defense.
“This subject stayed on their property and confronted the homeowner when he was out double-checking to see what all may have been damaged or stolen,” Chief Follick said, noting that such behavior is unusual. “Most burglars, if they determine that a home is occupied, once they’re detected, they normally flee the area.”
According to WKEF, the woman on the call can be heard stating, “We couldn’t find the magazine,” underscoring the frantic moments before the shots were fired. Despite the chaos, the homeowner’s actions appear to have stopped a potentially violent encounter.
The case is currently under investigation by the Englewood Police Department and will be reviewed by the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office. However, no charges have been filed at this time, nor are they expected.
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