Wauconda: Man shot by homeowner had gone to wrong house to pick up son

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

A Wauconda homeowner shot a 49-year-old man over the weekend after the man forced his way into the homeowner's house in an attempt to pick up his 11-year-old son from a birthday party that was actually held a block away, police said Wednesday.

Wauconda police said the 49-year-old man went to an incorrect address in the 300 block of Indian Ridge Trail in the far north suburb about 5:45 p.m. Saturday with another son, 15.

After the homeowner and his wife told him the 11-year-old wasn't there, police said the man didn't believe them and allegedly pushed his way in, then attacked the homeowner's wife.

The woman's husband fired at the man with a small-caliber pistol as the intruder continued to assault her in the foyer of their house, police said.

Both the man and his teenage son were hit multiple times, police said. They ran from the house, but the man collapsed near the driveway, where he was found by officers, police said.


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-wauconda-31dec31,0,4958747.story


This is a truly tragic situation. After the assault began it would appear that the homeowner had little choice but to defend his wife. It is tragic nonetheless.

[GreenStormCloud]

1. Sounds like the intruder has anger issues.

He has just gotten a strong lesson in controlling his temper.

[MNDemNY]

2. Or, he's a man who sincerely thought his child was in danger.

:shrug: Tragic, just the same.

[FarPoint]

3. I agree.....

If he was truly concerned that his son was in there then he could of walked away then called the police. Of course, better yet, call the house phone number he may of had for the party or the boys mother and just check the address......

[LisaM]

4. What a peculiar story

What stands out to me is - doesn't the father know the family where the 11-year old boy went? Did he just drop his kid off with strangers?

[Arkansas Granny]

5. I have to assume that the father didn't drop his son off or he would have realized

that he was at the wrong house when he went to pick him up.

[LisaM]

6. Well, right, but what I meant was

didn't he know the family at all? My parents generally both knew the parents of my friends. In fact, I can't think of a case where they didn't.

[Arkansas Granny]

7. There's not enough info at the link to even make a guess as to the circumstances.

[RamboLiberal]

10. Maybe not in dark & snow - houses in some areas really look alike

In an apparent case of confused identity, the 49-year-old dad dropped his son off at the Reyes party Saturday afternoon but got lost when he returned to pick him up, police say.

Instead of going to Reyes' house in the 300 block of Farmhill Circle, the dad and an older son went to a home in the 300 block of Indian Ridge Trail, one block away in the same subdivision.

But when the bewildered homeowner at the Indian Ridge home insisted he didn't have the 11-year-old boy, the dad and the 15-year-old son forced their way into his home, and the homeowner shot them, police Cmdr. John Thibault said.

The homeowner remains badly shaken by the encounter, he said. Both the father and the son might be charged if the father recovers.

"They must have got lost in the snow and gone to the wrong street," Thibault said.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1966885,wauconda-home-invasion-shooting-123109.article

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

9. Very strange indeed.

[LiberalFighter]

8. Had hats pulled over their faces? Odd. Doesn't add up.

I don't care how cold it is when someone goes up to a house that has someone that knows them they uncover their face. But considering the lack of details I don't know if the reporter didn't include them or the police didn't get all the details or what.

But there are still questions left unanswered.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

11. Odd to say the least.

[proteus_lives]

12. That sucks.

The guy should used his cell-phone to confirm the address.

But the fact is he was attacking them. The homeowner did the right thing.

[aikoaiko]

13. Once your start attacking an innocent homeowner and family, you've crossed the line

from being a father who was confused as to where to pick up his son and being a dangerous criminal.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

14. Very true.