Burglars break in, frighten sleeping homeowners

EMIGRATION CANYON — Detectives are looking for possibly two suspects who broke into a house Tuesday night and surprised the homeowners who were in bed.

Unified Police Lt. Don Hutson said the innocent victims appeared to be chosen completely at random.

At about 11:45 p.m., a couple living in a home near 500 North and 6200 East, in Emigration Canyon, were asleep in their beds, in separate rooms, when both of them heard noises.

The wife thought her husband was walking around. The husband thought someone was throwing trash away outside, Hutson said.

"The next thing he knew, there was a man standing over his bed shining a flashlight on him. The intruder told the homeowner, 'Stay put or I'll shoot,' " Hutson said.

The homeowner heard the man yell to a partner, leading him to believe there were two burglars in the house, though he never saw a second person, he said.

As the suspect was yelling, the homeowner made a break for it and ran to the master bedroom, where his wife was, slammed the bedroom door and locked it while his wife called 911.

When officers arrived, the suspects were gone. A backpack, purse and laptop computer were missing from the home, Hutson said. Detectives also found the burglars forced entry into the residence by prying off the door knob and lock.

Hutson said residential burglaries when the occupants are still in the house are rare.

"They probably thought this house was vacant," he said.

Anyone with information on the incident can call Unified Police at 801-743-7000.

In the majority of cases, burglars don't want to be seen or have any confrontation with homeowners, Hutson said.

In 1995, a 71-year-old Emigration Canyon resident shot one of two burglars in the leg after he heard a noise at his front door. The homeowner in that case, said he shot as the men burst in.

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