SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - It was a frightening situation for a South Salt Lake couple when they woke up to find an intruder inside their apartment.
It happened early Saturday morning at the Mountain Shadows apartments. Police say the man crashed through the front door while the couple was sleeping.
Police say the break-in was completely random. The suspect, 18-year-old Daniel Glen Larson did not know Patty Knepper nor her boyfriend, Phillip Reinhardt.
“I heard someone's foot steps coming and the door started to open and that's when I said somebody's in our room,” said Patty Knepper.
“I got my gun pointed straight at his head but I'm waiting for him to do something before I pull the trigger,” said Phillip.
The intruder also went after Patty. Patty says he grabbed her mouth while she tried to fight back and dial 911 at the same time. That's when Reinhardt shot the intruder.
The 9-MM slug hit Larson in the torso and ended up passing through the wall. Larson then ran to the front room and Phillip took aim at the intruder.
“He said if you're not going to let me out I'm going to go through the window, he just came over here and went like that, hit it with his elbow, the window shattered and he jumped out,” said Patty.
Police say Larson then tried to cross 3900 South and nearly got hit by a car before collapsing. Larson underwent surgery for the bullet wound and is now in protective custody. He could face charges of burglary and assault once he recovers.
