Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - A burglar apparently picked the wrong house to break into Thursday morning.
St. Petersburg police say Mary Starling Shirley was working on her computer inside her 24th Street South home just after 6 a.m. when she noticed one of her windows begin to open -- from the outside.
She told police that she witnessed a middle-aged man she did not know coming into her home through the window. She warned the suspect that she had a gun, but he did not retreat.
When he still tried to get in, Shirley fired twice.
The intruder, later identified as 48-year-old Timothy Scott Tugman, was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound, where he underwent surgery. He is expected to survive and will be facing burglary charges.
Police say Shirley did exactly the right thing in the potentially dangerous situation. She was shaken from the incident, but not hurt, thanks to her quick thinking and preparedness.