CHICAGO (WGN) – A Chicago resident thwarted a burglary Thursday afternoon by hitting the alleged suspect with a frying pan.
Jason Williams, the homeowner, said he was first alerted to a burglary attempt at his home just after 3 p.m., when his alarm company called him to notify him of suspicious activity at his front door. Williams had been away from home at the time, but he was already on his way back.
Looking at his camera feed remotely, Williams said he saw a man on his front porch, trying to break in. But when he arrived at his home, he didn't suspect anyone was still inside — until he walked in and came face to face with the suspect, who was coming down his stairs.
“He seemed as startled as I was when we ran into each other downstairs, and once he got hit with the frying pan, he was super stunned,” said Williams.
Williams told Nexstar's WGN he raced to grab a weapon to defend himself, and reached for a frying pan out of necessity. The pair then got into a tussle, he said, and he hit the suspect inside the foyer several times.
“Unfortunately, he got outside, (and I) chased him around the back of the house,” Williams said.
Williams said he was trying to stop the suspect, but the man managed to exit out the front gate, even as he was being hit with the pan. As seen in footage from Williams' surveillance camera, officers with the Chicago Police Department arrived just as the chase was spilling into the street.
“Right when I came out, they were there, so I was really happy to see police,” said Williams.
CPD said the 33-year-old suspect was taken into custody and brought to Illinois Masonic Hospital, where he was reportedly in good condition.
Williams said watching the video back felt like something out of a television series or movie, but he also recognizes the seriousness of the situation.
“This is your house; I have kids, I have a wife, I have a dog, so you’re worried about your family, but you really feel violated, and I was angry, so the frying pan — took it out on the burglar,” said Williams, who was uninjured.
Williams said his dog was also home at the time of the break-in and was not injured. He does not believe the dog heard the suspect enter the house, or the situation may have been handled before he got home.
“I’m glad he wasn’t armed, I’m glad the police were here, and I’m glad he was caught quickly,” said Williams. “I’m not advocating that people fight back, but sometimes you’ve gotta say enough is enough and stick it back to the criminal.”
This isn’t the first time Williams chased a burglary suspect away. During his 15 years in the city, he said he's had to do it once before.
“My wife definitely was not happy and she’s like, you’ve gotta stop doing this,” said Williams.
Police did not take the pan as evidence. Williams said he still planned to use it to cook, though it has a dent that might need to be fixed.
Charges against the suspect are pending amid the investigation, CPD said.
