BALTIMORE -- A Johns Hopkins University student from Monmouth County armed with a samurai sword killed a man early today who broke into his off-campus home in Baltimore, according to a

report

by the Baltimore Sun.

Baltimore police responded to a report of a suspicious person at the 300 block of E. University Parkway around 1:20 a.m., when they heard shouts and screams and found the suspected burglar suffering from a nearly severed hand and a severe cut to his upper body, the report said. Police said initial investigation shows the man was killed with one strike of the sword.

John Pontolillo, an undergraduate student from Wall, said he heard noises and went downstairs armed with the sword when he discovered a man in his garage, the Baltimore Sun report said.

The student asked the suspect what he was doing and threatened to call police.

"When he said that, the suspect lunged at him, kind of forced the kid against the wall, and he struck him with the sword," said police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the Associated Press.

The intruder's left hand was nearly severed -- Guglielmi described it as "hanging on by a thread" -- and the man suffered a severe cut to the upper body. The 49-year-old suspect, whom police described as a habitual offender, died at the scene.

The home had been burglarized Monday, the report said.

Several nearby residents said the community has experienced a rash of petty crimes in recent months, including home, garage and vehicle break-ins. Many homes have bars on windows and stickers advertising alarm systems.

Kenny Eaton, 20, a junior political science major at Hopkins who lives nearby, said there was some tension between students and lower-income residents of nearby communities. The private Johns Hopkins is known for its health and science research and has about 4,600 undergraduates on its main campus.

"You take kids who are paying $50,000 a year (in tuition) and then put them out in a very dangerous city environment, it's almost like a clash of civilizations," he said.

Police had not yet released the suspect's name because they were having trouble locating his relatives. Guglielmi said he had 29 prior arrests, mostly for burglary and breaking and entering, and had been released Saturday from a Baltimore County jail after serving about a year for auto theft.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.