An elderly man was seriously hurt when he interrupted a home burglary in progress by the teenage suspect Monday afternoon, police said.
The man was out getting the mail around 2:15 p.m. when he entered his son’s home on the 4200 block of Powderhorn Drive to deliver the mail, he came face to face with the suspected burglar, San Diego police Sgt. Jesse Ochoa said.
The man was beaten and sustained injuries to his face and the back of his head, the sergeant said.
The man’s wife, who was next door, called police and when officers arrived, they found a person matching the suspect and gave chase.
The suspect broke through a neighbor’s fence in trying to escape but police were able to take him into custody, Ochoa said. The suspect, who was black, in his teens and about 6 foot tall, still had the victim’s wallet on him, he said.
The man was transported to UCSD Medical Center. The man suffered serious but non-life-threatened injuries. He is expected to recover, Ochoa said.
Detectives are still investigating to assess charges, which includes burglary, assault and elder abuse, he said.