UPDATE:
AUBURN, Ind. (ADAMS) – Investigators say it was a home invasion and robbery that turned deadly for the robbers. New court documents detail just what happened last Sunday at a home in Auburn.
The report says three people forced their way into the home, started stealing things and demanding money from the homeowner. They held a gun to his head, but he was able to get free and grab his shotgun.
That’s when he shot and killed two of the robbers and marched the other one out of his house. He then held that suspect and the getaway driver at gunpoint until police arrived. Investigators say the robbers knew the victim and had robbed him at his house the day before.
Read more here
UPDATE:
The two deceased adults in yesterday’s DeKalb County shooting have been identified as Rameica Lasharon Moore, 36, of Fort Wayne, and Dylan Scott Morefield, 22, of Churubusco. Their families have been notified.
ORIGINAL STORY:
DEKALB CO., Ind. (ADAMS) – The Indiana State Police say two people are dead and two others are in custody after a homeowner used his gun to stop them from robbing his home.
It happened just before 6 a.m. yesterday morning in Auburn. Troopers say four people showed up at the man’s home armed with a gun.
Investigators say the homeowner had his gun and shot two of the would-be robbers. He held the other two at gunpoint until police arrived. The homeowner was not injured.
Indiana State Police released the following:
Detectives with the Indiana State Police Fort Wayne Post are conducting a death investigation related to an early morning shooting that occurred at a residence in the 1600 block of State Road 8. Two adults died as a result of this incident, and two suspects are being held and facing related criminal charges.
The preliminary investigation has revealed that this incident originated as a home burglary shortly before 6:00am this morning. Four burglary suspects are alleged to have gone to the residential property armed with a gun. They confronted the homeowner, who then allegedly produced his own firearm, and fired at the suspects.
First arriving officers from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and Auburn Police Department reported two suspects being held at gunpoint by the homeowner, and then two deceased suspects were located inside the residence.
The two suspects (identified below) are both being held in the DeKalb County jail pending charges to be filed as follows:
Arrested: Tabitha L. Johnson, 42, of Fort Wayne
Shaun T. Kruse, 42, of Fort Wayne
Charges: 1) Felony Murder
2) Burglary, Level 2 Felony
At this time, criminal charges have not been lodged against the homeowner.
The DeKalb County Coroner’s office is working with investigators to confirm identities of the deceased and also to make necessary family notifications. Autopsies for both deceased are pending with the Northeast Indiana Forensic Center. (There will be an updated release sent out once the Coroner has made positive identification and notified next of kin.)
This remains an active ISP investigation. There is no further information available to release at this time.
The Indiana State Police detectives were assisted by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, The Auburn Police Department, Garrett Police Department, the DeKalb County Coroner’s Office, and DeKalb County Prosecutor’s Office.
*All charges mentioned are preliminary at this point, and all criminal suspects are to be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.