Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
SPOKANE COUNTY -- A man who said he was just doing a homeowners dishes was shot by the homeowner in a possible occupied residential burglary last night.
According to a Spokane County Sheriff's Office report, deputies and Airway Heights police officers were called to the home on the 2600 block of North Colville Road -- northeast of Airway Heights and north of Palisades Park just off Trails Road -- at about 11:55 p.m. on a call of a burglary in progress. The report said the homeowner and his wife were upstairs watching TV and had just turned it off when he heard a noise downstairs.
Fearing an intruder the homeowner armed himself with a shotgun and went downstairs where he encountered a man, later identified as 29-year-old Kenneth B. Caldero, in the kitchen using the microwave. When the homeowner asked Caldero what he was doing he replied he was doing their dishes, upon which the homeowner told him to leave.
Caldero failed to follow the instructions, and the homeowner again demand he leave. Caldero began walking toward the house's staircase, and fearing for his family's safety, yelled at him to stop or he would fire, at which point Caldero apparently advanced on the homeowner and struggle ensued. The homeowner fired a round of birdshot into the home's floor, at which point Caldero stepped back and then again advanced on the homeowner.
The homeowner was able to load another round in the shotgun's chamber as Caldero continued his advance and fire a round into the intruder's leg. Caldero subsequently fled the residence and was found by officers a short distance away yelling for help and bleeding profusely from his thigh. Officers applied immediate medical attention to deal with Caldero's wound, and after medics arrived and rendered further assistance, he was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Caldero told officers he thought he was at a friends house and went inside to use the bathroom but must have gone into the wrong house because "some guy shot him." He provided the name of the friend, but after further questioning said his friend was in prison, which deputies were able to confirm. Deputies were unable to locate any call history of Caldero’s friend at the victim’s residence or even near it.
Caldero remains hospitalized and will face first-degree burglary charges when released. Deputies said the homeowner will not face charges with the information currently known.
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.