Sep 16, 2009 10:09 am US/Eastern
Hopkins Student Kills Burglary Suspect With Sword
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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Baltimore police say a Johns Hopkins University undergraduate student armed with a samurai sword killed an intruder he discovered in his garage.
CBS
A gruesome scene unfolded overnight just blocks from the Johns Hopkins University campus. A student encountered an intruder inside his garage and fought back.
Kelly McPherson spoke with another man in the same neighborhood who went through a similar encounter.
On an off-campus property in the 300-block of East University Parkway, Johns Hopkins student John Pontolillo, 20, severed the hand of a would-be robber with a samurai sword. The suspect, who also was cut in the upper body, died at the scene.
The student came out of his house after hearing rumbling around 1:20 a.m. Tuesday. He was armed with the sword and went to the garage. That's when he told police he saw Donald Rice. Pontolillo said Rice, 49, lunged at him.
"We were actually called to the scene earlier by a neighbor for a suspicious person. By the time we got there, we found the suspect, and took the student, along with his roommates, into custody for questioning," said Anthony Guglielmi, Baltimore City Police spokesperson.
On Monday, two laptops and a Sony PlayStation were stolen from the student's home, but police were not sure whether Rice was responsible, Guglielmi said.
"I was relating a little bit to what happened here," said Harry Goodman, who shot a robber last year.
Goodman spoke only to
WJZ. Last June, he shot a robber three times inside his Charles Village dry cleaning business because he feared for his life.
"I'm sorry he had to go through a situation where he felt his life was threatened. He probably did what he had to do. At least, that's what I hope his mindset was," he said.
People at Rice's address did not answer the door. Police say he's been arrested 29 times for burglary. He had been released from Baltimore County jail three days before his death.
WJZ spoke to students and homeowners who have been victimized by break-ins over the past few years.
"The anger after you're broken in and the emotions you go through after an intrusion--it's really a traumatic situation," said neighbor Charlotte Ponticelli.
"It took me a while to get over it," Goodman said, adding that maybe Pontolillo should talk to people that he trusts about the incident.
Susan Boswell, the dean of student life at Hopkins, said in a statement that she was "relieved to report that the student was not harmed," but she also advised other students not to follow the swordsman's example.
"If you ever suspect that there is a prowler in your residence or on your property, call 911 immediately," Boswell said.
"Experts advise that you do not attempt to confront the intruder, but rather secure yourself in a locked area until police arrive."
The state's attorney's office will decide if the student should face charges.
"Deadly force, under the law, is only a last resort, and your belief has to be a genuine belief that you or your family members are at risk," said attorney Andrew Levy.
Four students rent the house. The other three have returned home. One parent who answered the door would not answer any questions, including who owns the sword.
An expected autopsy will help the state attorney's office's decision.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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