Mark Hayes, Homeowner, Kills Intruder Who Attacked Him With Hammer In His Chicago Home

A Chicago homeowner killed an intruder who was attacking him with a hammer in the garage of his Far South Side home early Thursday.

Police say the intruder tripped the alarm waking homeowner Mark Hayes, 44, around 3:15 a.m. Thursday, NBC Chicago reports. Hayes then went, armed with a knife, to the garage of his home in the 0-100 block of West Brayton Street to investigate.

When Hayes confronted the intruder, ABC Chicago reports the intruder grabbed a hammer and tried to attack him.

In an interview with the Tribune, Hayes' father, Melvin Hayes, 72, said the intruder originally implied that he was with someone else who had a gun.

"The guy says, 'Get the gun,' like there was another person there," the elder Hayes said. "Of course, at this point in time, (my son) doesn't know for sure whether there's someone in there or not."

Police report the two struggled and it ended when Hayes stabbed the man. The intruder fled and the Sun-Times reports he either flagged down a motorist or had a car waiting for him outside.

According to DNAinfo Chicago, the burglar, 52, was pronounced dead at Roseland Community Hospital.

Hayes was treated for minor injuries.

Neighbors say crime in the area is rare, though there's been an uptick in garage burglaries recently, which is what prompted Hayes to install a security system. "This right here is a nice neighborhood," the neighbor told the Sun-Times. "I even leave my windows and doors unlocked sometimes. I don’t have no worries.”

Hayes' wife and two stepchildren were home at the time and were not injured. The elder Hayes told the Tribune his son, a former Marine, was "thinking survival."

"I'm proud he's alive."

A police investigation is ongoing.