Sheriff Says Teen Saved Family by Killing Intruder (Brave Kid)

The Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 8/24/06 | Lisa Rosetta

[surely_you_jest]

He then pulled a 6-inch hunting knife from beneath his bed, walked into his parents' bedroom and stabbed the intruder five times in the back, Gower said. The intruder continued wrestling with the boy's stepfather until he realized he had lost his gun, Gower said. He then told the family he was leaving and tried to exit through a locked front door. When he couldn't get out, a family member unlocked the deadbolt and let him out. The intruder then collapsed about 100 to 150 feet from the side of the home.

The thug was stabbed five times in the back, kept wrestling, got up, announced he was leaving, fooled around with the door, and made it 100 plus feet out the door before he collapsed?

Good on the kid defending his family, but I think the young man needs remedial anatomy lessons - this is the heart, this is the spinal column - that sort of thing.

[Still Thinking]

If he walked 150 feet before collapsing, are we sure the kid stabbed him enough times? OTOH, it does keep the blood off the rug.

[Still Thinking]

We had the same thought, except I realized there was a bright side to the outcome re: new carpet.

[surely_you_jest]

new carpet

True.

[An Old Marine]

Good on the kid defending his family, but I think the young man needs remedial anatomy lessons - this is the heart, this is the spinal column - that sort of thing.

DOn't be too hard on the kid after all he is a kid. And I will point out that from your post you apparently don't know the best way to use a knife in that situation.

[Jambe]

The only thing the kid screwed up on is that he probably should have gone outside, found the body, and pulled it back inside the house. Then call the police.

They will most likely get sued.

[r9etb]

Even what score???? do reporters ever ask follow up questions????

Read the article again: It all began when a 19-year-old Las Vegas man, who was recently fired from a construction company owned by the family....

[Paradox]

The only thing the kid could have done better would have been to slit the guys throat, or "pith" him like a lab frog. The 6 stabbings didn't leave the perpetrator immediately incapacitated, which would have been preffered.

[surely_you_jest]

you apparently don't know the best way to use a knife in that situation

I was in the Air Force, not the Corps. I would have shot him. It does seem, though, that a stab in the upper neck, severing the spinal column, would have slowed things down a bit.

[Centurion2000]

Good on the kid defending his family, but I think the young man needs remedial anatomy lessons

the human body can last a lot longer than people realize. Considering that a 6 inch knife stab wound in the back is going to almost ALWAYS pierce something vital, there's not much more he could have done short of hitting the guy on a downward shot through the collarbone and shoulder blade on the left side.

[ASOC]

Like, slash under the arm? Slash the groin/upper thigh?

I can just image the poor kid using the machine gunners mantra - Die MF, die!

[mewzilla]

The intruder's named in the link below...

Youth Stabs Intruder to Death in Cedar City

[Texas Mom]

It all began when a 19-year-old Las Vegas man, who was recently fired from a construction company owned by the family, broke into their home at 2650 N. 2200 West, near Cedar City, and held the boy and his parents at gunpoint, Gower said.

They know all this but don't know his name? Maybe it's that notification of next of kin thing.

[white trash redneck]

In the UK the boy would be facing charges. At least we haven't gone as far down the road to the Nanny State as they have.

[The Grim Freeper]

This article says the "home invasion" was pre-planned. Then they question whether it was robbery or pay-back (I think they mean whether 19-year-old planned on killing the family). Well, if the perp had an opportunity to pre-plan, then I would think he would have just robbed the place to begin with.

[mewzilla]

Yup. I think robbery wasn't the perp's main motivation.

[Still Thinking]

I don't think so. They took no further action after he started trying to disengage, even unlocked the door for him. At the time they were administering wounds to the guy, he was in the house taking aggressive action against the family. I don't see how the fact that he left the house before he died hurts them; if anything it seems to me it makes them look LESS aggressive, expecially since they proactively helped him leave.

[DumpsterDiver]

I say we get a pool going. Was it Pedro, Achmed or Tom?

I would've guessed Pedro and I would've been wrong.

The intruder was identified as C.J. Harris, 19, of Las Vegas.

[Al Gator]

"That jumped out at me too. I say we get a pool going. Was it Pedro, Achmed or Tom?"


Tyrone