Homeowner shoots, kills intruder in Howard County

A man attempting to break into a house in Woodbine, Maryland, was shot and killed by a homeowner in the early hours of Sunday morning.

According to Howard County police, around 1 a.m. Gerardo Espinoza, 46, of Chantilly, Virginia, who was not wearing shoes or a shirt began, banging on the door to a house in the 14000 block of Carriage Mill Road and demanding to be let in.

Police said footage taken by a security doorbell — which has not been made publicly available at this time — shows Espinoza threatening the residents, shouting “I’m going to f— you up,” and “You want a piece of this s—?”

The residents of the home, Charles Dorsey, 56, and his wife, repeatedly shouted at the man to leave and dialed 911.

Espinoza then tried to force his way into the house. In the video, police say Dorsey can be heard shouting, “He pushed the door open, he pushed the door open,” at which point Dorsey shot Espinoza once, killing him.

According to police, Espinoza had been staying at friend’s house in the neighborhood and may have been drinking before the incident. Detectives are looking into the possibility that Espinoza may have accidentally gone to the wrong house.

Police say no charges have been filed at this time.

Below is a map of the area.

Zeke Hartner

Zeke Hartner is a digital writer/editor who has been with WTOP since 2017. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University’s Political Science program and an avid news junkie.

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