Would-be burglar dies after dog scares him

A man who police said was breaking into a Marion County home died after a family pet scared him away. Deputies said the dog, a boxer mix, scared Laird Butler when he broke into a Summerfield home. Butler ran from the dog and jumped through a window.

Butler suffered cuts from glass shards and collapsed in a neighbour's yard. He later died. "I'm very grateful to my dog for protecting my house," homeowner Angela Wilcox said. "I wish he would not have broken into my home."



Wilcox said Butler lived in the neighbourhood. She said Butler's girlfriend told her he was hallucinating from drugs at the time he broke in.

Deputies said Butler did not steal anything from the home. A toxicology test is being done to see if Butler had taken drugs before the break-in.

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