Police: Homeowner shot with own gun after confronting would-be burglar

METRO POLICE

A man who broke into a west valley backyard early Sunday morning fatally shot an elderly homeowner who had confronted the intruder, according to Metro Police.

Sheldon Thomas, 34, was arrested while he was walking away from a home in the 8100 block of West Charleston Boulevard, near Cimarron Road, when police responded at 3:31 a.m. to a call of a residential break-in.

Arriving officers noticed signs of a break-in and soon located an elderly man in an enclosed patio area suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, police said. Medical personnel declared the man dead at the scene.

The victim was armed with a handgun and confronted Thomas in the patio area, police said. A struggle over the gun ensued, and the victim was shot.

Thomas was transported to the Clark County Detention Center where he faces one count of murder with a deadly weapon. The identity of the victim, as well as the cause and manner of death, will be released by the Clark County Coroner's Office.

Anyone with any information about the incident is urged to contact Metro at 702-828-3521 or at [email protected]