Short
wait, gunfire nets suspect in burglaries
By
Christina Leonard
Originally published 3/09/2000, Arizona
Republic
To put a stop to a string of
burglaries, Bret Hutchison, 25, hunkered down in his garage and armed himself
with a handgun, a baseball bat, chips and even something to go to the bathroom
in.
But he didn't have to wait
long.
In fact, he stayed hidden a
little more than an hour before he heard thumping sounds.
Soon after, Charles Richard
Milhoan, 34, was flown by helicopter, with multiple gunshot wounds, to a Valley
hospital.
Detectives are still
investigating Tuesday's east Mesa shooting, but they said preliminary findings
indicate that Hutchison "will most likely be cleared on self-defense."
Milhoan could face burglary
or theft charges.
The shooting happened about
5:45 p.m. at a home in the 500 block of South 97th Way, said Sgt. Don
Rosenberger, a spokesman for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
Hutchison told investigators
the following:
Milhoan lives in a trailer
house connected to a garage, where Hutchison stored property.
"They've had stuff
missing of late," Rosenberger said. "And they can't pin it down."
So, Hutchison decided to hide
in the garage Tuesday and wait.
Hutchison reported he heard
somebody crawling through a vent that connects the garage to the house. And once
the burglary suspect climbed down stairs into the garage, he saw Hutchison.
Hutchison reported that
Milhoan threw a brick at him.
"When Milhoan reaches
toward his back area and says he's going to kill him, Hutchison closes his eyes
and shoots," Rosenberger said.
Milhoan underwent surgery at
Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn. He was expected to recover.
Reach the reporter at [email protected]
or at (602) 444-7972.
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