CECILTON — A homeless man is facing several criminal charges after he allegedly broke into an occupied Cecilton residence — prompting an 84-year-old man who lives there to grab his handgun and fire a warning shot, according to the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect, Luis Fernando Guscoa, 19, was still inside the home in the 6900 block of Augustine Herman Highway (Route 213) when CCSO deputies arrived, after receiving the burglary-in-progress dispatch, and they took him into custody without further incident, police reported. The bullet fired by the elderly resident did not hit Guscoa, police noted.
Lt. Michael Holmes, a CCSO spokesman, said the male resident was reading the Bible and his wife, 83, was watching television inside their home at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Thursday when Guscoa allegedly forced his way into the basement, creating noise in the process. The sound of the break-in prompted the male resident to retrieve his handgun, Holmes added.
The couple’s dog was barking at the top of the basement stairs, alerting the residents that someone was in their basement, according to police.
Armed with the handgun, the man went to investigate, police said. When he reached the top of the basement stairwell, police added, he saw an intruder — later identified as Guscoa — peek out of one of the basement rooms.
At that point, according to police, Guscoa walked out of that basement room and started moving toward the armed homeowner, who, in turn, fired a single warning shot.
No charges have been filed against the homeowner for discharging his firearm, reported Holmes, who commented, “The male later told deputies that he was not trying to shoot the suspect but wanted to warn the suspect not to move any closer.”
CCSO deputies arrived and arrested Guscoa shortly after the incident, police said.
Guscoa has been charged with home invasion and first-degree burglary, both of which are felonies, and two misdemeanor burglary counts, according to Cecil County District Court records. Scheduled for a Tuesday bail review hearing, Guscoa remained in the Cecil County Detention Center on no bond over the Labor Day weekend.
