A suspected burglar in El Paso not only encountered a dog during his alleged crime but an armed homeowner who returned fire when the dog was shot.
Bruce Wayne Murphy, 29, is accused of breaking into the home well after sunup last week, forcibly entering the home before 9 a.m., according to the El Paso Police Department. The resident of the home, 37-year-old Sean Patrick Suniga, told police that once inside the home, Murphy shot and wounded the dog. Suniga further advised officers that he returned fire, striking the intruder.
“Murphy was located in the middle of the intersection yelling for help stating that he had been shot,” the EPPD said in a statement.
There were two other residents home at the time of the attempted burglary, according to the release.
The department said a warrant was obtained for burglary of habitation with a bond of $500,000. Murphy was transported to a local hospital and will be booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility upon his release.
District detectives, Crimes Against Persons detectives and the Animal Cruelty Investigative Unit were on the scene and the investigation is ongoing, according to the release. The condition of the injured dog is not clear.
Perhaps fittingly, there appeared to be more concern among social media users for the well-being of the wounded dog than the alleged burglar.
Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story from Twitter:
I hope the dog is okay. Condition unknown.
— lincoln01008 (@ti01008) March 5, 2023
The John Wick is strong with this one…
— John Miner (@PowerOf35389870) March 6, 2023
— Martin j short (@martinshort1982) March 5, 2023
Disappointed burglar is alive…Hopefully that dog get well soon.
— TitoCamuy (@CamuyMendez) March 5, 2023
Yup. Burglary, Weapon discharge, theft, he could be back on the street in six months. But shooting the dog? Ten years, easy.
— Peter McKenna (@petemckenna38) March 5, 2023
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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