Home invasion victims turn tables on intruders

Originally ran here as:
"Home invasion victims turn tables on intruders"
BY TYRONE WALKER, Charleston Post and Courier staff
Thursday, July 12, 2001

SOUTH CAROLINA -- Victims of a home invasion chased and cornered two of three men who they say tried to rob them Tuesday in a North Charleston mobile home park.

When North Charleston police arrived at Fairmont Mobile Home Park on Sumner Avenue, they found two men holed up in a trailer that was surrounded by several other men throwing bricks. A third man was found as he tried to escaped a mob of brick-throwing neighbors, according to police reports.

Police reports gave the following account of events surrounding the home invasion:

Four tenants said three men, one armed with a handgun, forced their way into the home shortly after 11 p.m. One of the robbers put a gun to the head of a pregnant woman and demanded "unknown items."

In an attempt to help the woman, one of the tenants fought and struggled with one of the robbers. A second tenant heard the ruckus and emerged from a room wielding a BB gun. The robbers ran from the home when they were confronted by the armed tenant.

A short while later, some of the victims spotted the robbers as they parked a white van at a nearby residence. The victims along with neighbors then chased two men into a mobile home and began to throw bricks and rocks. The mob of neighbors also pelted the van with bricks.

The third man, who wasn't able to run inside the home, was chased by the neighbors. A police officer arriving at the mobile home park saw the man running away. After a short chase, he was arrested.

Two other men were arrested at Lot 43 of the mobile home park after the victims identified them as the armed home invaders.

Police said they found a handgun stuffed in the floor vent of an air conditioner inside the home at Lot 43. A girl at the home told police she saw a man hide something in the vent.

Arrested were Ronald Lee Wiggins, 18, and Herman Lee Butler, 22, both of Ravenel, and Herman Leroy Wiggins, 32, of Sumner Avenue. Each is charged with armed robbery, burglary and kidnapping. All were ordered held without bail Wednesday by Magistrate Jack Guedalia.

Scott Decker of the North Charleston police said this was the most recent case of residents defending themselves against home invaders.

Related Self-defense News from Charleston:

Tenant kills thief hiding under bed
(Charleston, South Carolina, February 3, 2001)

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