Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, told Blaze News that a male was suspected of having committed a string of crimes Monday morning.
Police said Michael Salas broke into a home, led police on a car chase, and then fled on foot before arriving at an apartment on the southeast side of the city, KRQE-TV reported.
‘Please don’t touch me. Please get out of my house.’
Suddenly, Salas barged into the unit — and encountered wheelchair-bound Anthony Nichogi, who was in the residence with his young son, the station said.
Nichogi’s wife had left the front door unlocked when she departed, KRQE said, adding that Salas burst inside only a minute later.
“I was in fear for my life and my son,” Nichogi told the station, adding that Salas “reached for me, and I told him, ‘Please don’t touch me. Please get out of my house.’”
KRQE said Salas has a long rap sheet full of burglary arrests and convictions.
Burglaries are nothing new for Nichogi, who told the station his neighborhood has suffered many of them — and he was prepared: “You know, I have video footage of all the five years’ worth of incidents, and I’m expecting it.”
Nichogi repeatedly told Salas to get out, KRQE said, adding that he soon motored on his electric wheelchair to the bedroom to get mace.
But it wouldn’t be so easy.
“I turned my chair around, and as I went into the bedroom to go unlock it and retrieve it, he followed me into the bedroom,” Nichogi explained to the station.
With that, Nichogi opted for a more powerful means of self-defense. He instead grabbed his gun, KRQE said.
And that wasn’t all.
Describing what happened next as a rush of adrenaline, Nichogi told the station he performed a rare physical feat: He got up from his wheelchair and commanded Salas to leave.
Indeed, video shows a clearly unnerved Salas putting up his hands and retreating to the front door as Nichogi points a gun at him and walks after him, even following Salas out of the apartment.
“I never expected to have to defend my home like that,” Nichogi added to KRQE. “This is a first for me.”
The medical condition that necessitates his wheelchair use is not clear.
Police told the station that officers had been following Salas after deploying a GPS dart on his car and then pursued him on foot.
Police added to KRQE that Salas was found on a roof next door and arrested.
According to jail information police provided to Blaze News, Salas on Wednesday remained incarcerated in Bernalillo County’s Metropolitan Detention Center on no bail. Salas, 40, was charged with aggravated burglary with a deadly weapon, burglary, reckless driving, and resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer. He also has a warrant for burglary from an automobile.
Police told KRQE that Salas had an accomplice with him — Christina Herrera — who is facing a residential burglary charge.
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