Man greets burglar with gunshots
MANATEE — A resident of the Palmetto Point neighborhood came home Tuesday morning to find an intruder making off with his shotgun, but before the burglar could get away, the resident opened fire on him with another gun, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
Whether the intruder was hit was unknown, but deputies said the burglar got away with nothing.
The incident started about 9:45 a.m. when a 61-year-old man came home to his residence in the 5200 block of Palmetto Point Drive, Palmetto. He entered through the front door and found an intruder wearing only black shorts and white sneakers, and carrying a black bag and a shotgun belonging to the resident, according to the sheriff’s office.
The victim ordered him to stop and then fired three rounds from his .25-caliber handgun. The suspect jumped over the fence and fled on foot, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators did not find a blood trail, but they notified local hospitals in case the suspect sought treatment. A neighbor reported seeing another man run from the front of the residence, and then get into a blue, newer model BMW, according to the sheriff’s office.
The intruder got into the house by prying open a front window. The residence had been ransacked and a gun case had been broken into. Three guns were taken, but they and some jewelry were recovered, the sheriff’s office said.
The intruder was described as 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing 190 pounds, with short black hair. The second suspect was described as 6 feet tall and weighing 170 pounds, with a shaved head. He was wearing black knee-length shorts and a white tank top T-shirt.
Anyone with information on the break-in can call the sheriff’s office at (941) 747-3011
Man charged with raping 13-year-old girl
MANATEE — Authorities have arrested a Bradenton man on a charge of raping a 13-year-old girl in his apartment, according to Manatee County Sheriff’s Office reports.
The girl told sheriff’s detectives she met Michael Justin Souza, 25, at the swimming pool at her apartment complex in the 6000 block of 34th Street West, and he asked her to come to his apartment, according to reports.
Sheriff’s reports say the victim went to Souza’s apartment, where he raped her.
Souza told detectives he had consensual sex with the girl, and the victim told him she was older than she is, according to reports.
Detectives arrested Souza on a charge of sexual battery, and he was being held in the Manatee County jail on $75,000 bond.
Three gunman rob Manatee residence
MANATEE — Three masked gunmen broke into a house in the 5500 block of 18th Avenue East early Tuesday, held a resident at gunpoint and stole several items, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
The home invasion robbery started about 3 a.m. when the three intruders entered through an unlocked front door and ordered the 26-year-old resident to the ground. While one of the gunmen held the resident by stepping on his neck, the other two stole items from the residence, according to the sheriff’s office.
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