Bridgeport man gets suspended sentence for shooting burglar

BRIDGEPORT - A city resident who shot a man breaking into his van was given a suspended sentence Friday.

George Berry, 30, pleaded guilty to first-degree assault for shooting Nicholas Aviles, a career burglar, in the face.

He was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin to a suspended five year term followed by three years’ probation.

Berry’s lawyer, Michael Riley, declined comment. But Aviles, who is currently serving 44 months in prison for prior larcenies, vigorously objected to the plea bargain and demanded Berry get prison time.

In the early morning of Dec. 16, police were dispatched to Mill Hill Avenue for a complaint of a burglary.

Berry told officers he had awoken shortly before 3 a.m. by the sound of what he thought was food burning in a crock pot. After checking the crock pot Berry looked out the window and saw a man breaking into Berry’s work van that was parked on the street, police said. A car, Berry didn’t know, was parked in the driveway.

Police said Berry told them he grabbed his .38-caliber handgun which he has a permit for and ran outside. Berry said the burglar, who was carrying Berry’s tool box, turned towards him in a threatening manner so Berry fired four shots at him.

The man then ran off, police said.

But a short time later, the man, later identified as the 27-year-old Aviles, returned to get his rental car that he left parked in the driveway, police said. Berry began shooting at him again, striking the car and wounding Aviles in the face as Aviles drove off, police said.

Officers later picked up Aviles on outstanding warrants and, noticing he had a bullet wound in his face realized he had been the one shot by Berry, police said.

Police said Aviles admitted to being shot by Berry while stealing the tool box from the van but he denied doing anything threatening to Berry and proclaimed that he wanted to press charges against Berry.