Minnesota Man Armed With Barbed Wire-Wrapped Baseball Bat Attacks Suspect Burglarizing His Trailer: Police

A Minnesota man’s home was burglarized, so he left a window open and waited for the intruder to return before beating him with a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire, according to authorities.

On April 16, officers were called to a burglary in progress in Mankato at a mobile home park, according to the Mankato Police Department.

Once at the scene, police found the suspect, 35-year-old Aldo Gomez, sitting outside the residence with a fractured skull, WTVO reported.

According to officials, Gomez told authorities he burglarized the home the day before by sneaking in through a window.

The homeowner, 28-year-old Blaze Richard Smith, looked over the surveillance video after the first burglary and recognized Gomez from his build and gait, authorities said.

Smith decided to wrap a baseball bat in barbed wire with screws and nails, he left a window open and then waited for Gomez to return, WTVO reported.

The next day, Gomez broke into the residence again and Smith hit him multiple times with the bat, police said.

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Investigators reviewed the surveillance video, which showed Smith chasing Gomez and hitting him multiple times with the bat. However, Smith told officers he hit Gomez “only four times” while inside the residence, according to police.

Both men were arrested, police said. Gomez was charged with felony burglary and Smith was charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon.