Police in Lakeland hope a toxicology report might explain a man's actions in a bizarre intruder case over the weekend that ended when a homeowner shot the man.
- Lakeland home intruder shot by homeowner
- Gabriel Jacobs shot, in critical condition
- Jacobs tried to break into home
- Homeowner Michael Ives warned Jacobs he was armed
The incident happened on Shorewood Place around 3 a.m. Sunday.
Detectives believe 19 year-old Gabriel Jacobs got into a wreck near the home of Michael and Charlotte Ives, and then started ringing their doorbell. When he wouldn’t stop, police said Charlotte Ives called 911. A recording of the calls captured Ives' request for help.
“I don’t know who it is,” Ives told the operator. “He’s been ringing our doorbell for the last 15 minutes. We’ve got a gun and we’re going to shoot him if he keeps on. It’s just me and my husband here. Somebody needs to come help us.”
"He started shouting profanities and some incoherent things,” said police spokesperson Gary Gross. “It didn't really make sense to them but they could tell he was agitated. They were scared.”
Just before Michael Ives fired the shot at Jacobs, Charlotte Ives called 911 again:
Operator: Ma'am, do you know if he has a weapon?
Charlotte Ives: I can’t tell, sir. I can’t tell.
((Gunshot))
Charlotte Ives: ((Screaming)) He just beat our door in. My husband --
Operator: It’s a hot call. The suspect just broke the door down.
Charlotte Ives: My husband just shot him. Somebody’s gotta come here.
Police say they found several traffic signs knocked to the ground and the red Chevrolet Impala Jacobs was driving near the home.
Gross said Michael Ives doesn’t face any charges. He said police were hoping a toxicology report might help to explain Jacobs’ actions. At last report, he was in critical condition at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center.