Woman Finds Burglar In Her Closet, Manhunt Follows In Cantonment

July 5, 2018

A manhunt was underway Thursday afternoon in Cantonment after a woman found reporting finding a burglar hiding in her closet.

The woman had been behind her home on Rose Petal Lane and went back inside to notice things were out of place. She located a black male dressed in all black inside her closet and pepper sprayed him, according to Major Andrew Hobbs of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. During an ensuing struggle, she received a small superficial scratch on her arm before the suspect ran outside.

There was no word of any arrests from the Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.

Rose Petal Lane is located between Well Line Road and Neal Road, just west of Highway 29.

NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.



Comments

18 Responses to “Woman Finds Burglar In Her Closet, Manhunt Follows In Cantonment”

  1. SLIM JIM on July 7th, 2018 4:30 pm

    I have seen wasp spray stop a snake for a while it paralyzed him and I ask a county patrol officer about me carrying a can in my car he said there was not a law against it he ask me what I wanted to carry it for I said it works better than pepper spray and shoots further

  2. Susan on July 7th, 2018 1:40 pm

    Wasp spray at each outside door…..the consequences later. Can’t guarantee pepper spray if you’re not sure it works at the time you need it. I’ve had pepper spray for several years only to discover it either had evaporated or somehow leaked out over time! But, you can check wasp spray at any time & it shoots a good distance, too!!

  3. Harris on July 6th, 2018 10:27 pm

    There could be some legalities involved with someone using Wasp & Hornet Spray for self-defense, something other than its’ “intended” purpose.

    I personally don’t care, as I believe in using whatever means that work to stop a criminal, but a slick personal injury lawyer could sue the user of the spray on behalf of the bad guy and make the original victim appear to be the criminal. JMHO.

  4. Beulah Boy on July 6th, 2018 7:12 pm

    KaneForMythBusting….I have witnessed it shot on an intruder before and it took a while before he was able to see or speak which gave time for the owner to tie him up until the police got there. He was still in agony while they were carrying him away..I trust what I saw. I would not hesitate to use it on someone as the distance it shoots is your advantage.

  5. Rasheed Jackson on July 6th, 2018 9:48 am

    Good job lady!!! You were prepared and did what you needed to do to protect yourself and your home.

  6. tg on July 6th, 2018 8:11 am

    Lady go buy a gun and learn to use it and they wont have to search for him.

  7. KaneForMythBusting on July 6th, 2018 1:54 am

    Wasp spray is not an effective substitute for pepper spray. Yes the wasp spray will sting your eyes but not nearly as effective as pepper spray. There are plenty of videos on YouTube with brave individuals testing this very thing. The results will speak for themselves. There is no substitute for the proven methods of defending yourself and spreading information that you “heard” worked is dangerous.

  8. Tarrance Wright Sr. on July 6th, 2018 12:52 am

    I sure hope they capture this guy. If I was off work and heard about this I would have came to the area and help the officers with the search. Anything I can do to help the Escambia County Sheriff Department I’m willing to do it.

  9. Kaye Wise on July 5th, 2018 10:36 pm

    Everybody’s telling her what she should have done, and I’m over here thinking “Wow, she had pepper spray and the presence of mind to use it.” Bravo, madame.

  10. anne 1of2 on July 5th, 2018 9:24 pm

    You can have anything in the house, I’m gone. Why anyone would get close enough to use pepper spray is beyond my way of thinking. Nothing is worth my life!

  11. Avis on July 5th, 2018 8:22 pm

    Beulah Boy, thats right. You don’t need a permit to carry it and you are less likely to get mistakenly shot for having it in the seat beside you when you get pulled over. I’m in favor of open carry of Hot Shot. For all you non-believers, test it on yourself.

  12. Joey F on July 5th, 2018 7:51 pm

    Have they found this guy yet any new updates

  13. Howie on July 5th, 2018 7:09 pm

    I hope they find the intruder. But ALWAYS lock your doors when leaving your home. To the mailbox, to the neighbors house, to get something from your car – someone can always slip inside without you knowing it. The pepper spray probably subdued him slightly and he left.

    The scratch on your arm, maybe the Police can retrieve some DNA from that.

  14. Grammie on July 5th, 2018 7:06 pm

    We all have to keep our front doors locked even if we are at home now it , and a gun handy. Pensacola and Cantonment have changed so much in the last 15 years.

  15. Betty on July 5th, 2018 7:00 pm

    Where’s your gun, lady??

  16. Steph on July 5th, 2018 6:40 pm

    Shoot first ask questions later!

  17. Beulah Boy on July 5th, 2018 6:33 pm

    Keep wasp spray close by…Sprays 10+ feet and more effective.

  18. nod on July 5th, 2018 5:47 pm

    too bad she didn’t use a gun.