A neighbor is being credited for scaring off a would-be burglar in Claridge.
Iean Critchlow said his neighbors called him and said someone was trying to break into their Claridge home. His reaction was to turn on the lights and grab his gun.
"It's getting to the point now, where the homeowners are going to start taking things into their own hands,” Critchlow said.
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He encountered the potential intruder and told Channel 11 he caught the man red-handed behind his neighbor’s property Thursday night.
"He was hiding behind a bush and jumped out so I put him at gunpoint and it looked like he was going to go down, I told him don't move, I will shoot."
The burglar escaped when more neighbors came outside. Officers were called about the attempted break-in, but no one had been charged as of Tuesday evening. The Penn Township police chief said he thinks the same person may be tied to several business burglaries in Claridge and the Harrison City area.
Critchlow told Channel 11 that he's dealt with thieves here before.
"They took my boy’s bike off the porch, literally just stole it off my porch, and the neighbor’s go-kart,” he said.
He said if it’s a problem that persists, he will rely on his protection.
"If you want to mess with my home or neighbors home and property, threaten me and my family, there will be something to pay. He's lucky he's still alive,” Critchlow said.
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