Home invasion ends in man's death
By Lee Williams
Published in News on August 31, 2007 2:07 PM
DUDLEY -- Three armed intruders stormed into a family's home on Old Mount Olive Highway during a home invasion this morning, but one of the robbers never made it out alive.
A man, his girlfriend and their four children, ages, 4, 5, 5 and 8, were asleep in their beds at 2546 Old Mount Olive Highway when three men barged into their mobile home after kicking in the front door.
The men rounded up the occupants whose names have been withheld at officials' request and held them at gunpoint while they ransacked the home searching for money.
None of the occupants were injured during the home invasion.
But the encounter took a fatal turn when one of the gunmen opened fire.
The male resident then reached for his own handgun and returned fire, Wayne County Sheriff Carey Winders said.
"One of the intruders was shot while the others escaped in a dark-colored vehicle," Winders said. "The intruder that was shot was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS."
The suspect was identified as Antione Logan Chestnut, 19, of Dudley.
Today's death marks the 13th fatal incident in Wayne County this year.
Winders said the residents in the home didn't know the intruders. He added that drugs are not believed to be involved.
Wayne County sheriff's deputies responded to the home at about 12:30 a.m. Detectives worked through the night taking crime scene photos, collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses and neighbors in the area.
Wayne County EMS responded to the scene and officers from the Mount Olive Police Department were called to assist.
Meanwhile, officers had to work hard to console family members of the suspect who was killed in the home invasion.
Officials say they are thankful the incident didn't end in more bloodshed.
"We had four children in there, and we are fortunate that no one was injured or killed during the exchange of gunfire," Wayne County sheriff's Maj. George Raecher said.