Salt Lake City Police say more homes are being broken into in broad daylight. (PHOTO: KSL Newsradio)
WEST JORDAN — Police say a West Jordan homeowner has shot and killed a suspected burglar.
According to West Jordan Police Officer Scott List, the suspected burglar, a woman, was discovered after the homeowner, a 26-year-old man, heard the garage door open at 6846 W. 7605 South. List told KSL Newsradio’s Peter Samore the shooting happened around 5:30 Friday morning.
Investigators have identified the woman as 23-year old Makayla Yeaman.
List says they’re not releasing the details of the interaction between the Yeaman and the man who shot her, but, that homeowner has been interviewed by police and released. She reportedly made it past the interior garage door and into a second room before she was confronted by the homeowner.
Officers have reportedly figured out how she broke into the garage. List says, “It appears she was able to get the garage door opener from the truck that was parked outside.”
Investigators had been trying to verify if Yeaman had help breaking into the home, but, that possibility is becoming less and less likely.
List says, “The homeowner may have had an opportunity to look around for other people, and didn’t see anybody.”
Extra safety measures could be coming soon to that West Jordan neighborhood, according to the president of the Maples at Jordan Hills Homeowners Assn.
John Painter reassured neighbors that “everything’s OK, and the police are here, and we’ve got the community protected.
“We’re going to take measures to make sure that something like this doesn’t happen again,” he added.
Painter will push for a new community watch program at the association’s next meeting.
He says several neighbors have surveillance cameras and dogs like the ones that woke up the resident.
Painter could only imagine the possible trauma the man who fired the deadly shots is feeling.
“It’s pretty alarming if somebody broke into your house in the middle of the night, and it’s dark,” he said. “It would be really difficult to analyze that threat level.
“The fact that they broke into your house would constitute some sort of a threat to your life.”
