Home burglar gets pummeling, not loot

A 53-year-old man who came home from church Sunday and found a 20-something man burglarizing his Salt Lake City home wasn't about to let the intruder get away with his loot.

Despite the robber's claim that he was armed with a knife, the homeowner kicked the thief, knocking him to the floor, and the two engaged in a fistfight. The robber then grabbed a walking cane and hit the man with it. But the cane snapped in two and the homeowner used half of the cane to beat the intruder and send him running out of the home — without the items he intended to steal.

"The victim then chased the suspect and tackled him in the front yard, then hit the suspect several more times with the cane" before the robber managed to escape and run away, Salt Lake City Police Lt. Gary Layton said.

The attempted burglary occurred about 5:15 p.m. in the 300 West block of 400 North.

The homeowner suffered only a few scratches; the thief appeared to get the worst of it, Layton said, although the extent of his injuries was not known.

The intruder was described as Hispanic, between 22 and 29 years old, 5 foot 8 and 180 pounds. He told the homeowner he was homeless, Layton said.

The robber had some of the homeowner's knives and about $100 in change in his possession when the homeowner interrupted him, Layton said.