Canton, Ohio — A Canton couple is alive and recovering today, while one suspected burglar is in the morgue, another one is on the run, and their getaway driver is in prison.
The couple, who have not been identified, were asleep in bed in their home on the 2600 block of Second Street NW when two masked men woke them up around 2:00 am.
The men began to beat the couple over the heads with guns, pistol whipping the man and attacking the woman with the butt of a rifle.
Police said that the intruders eventually went downstairs, presumably to look for money to steal.
While they were gone, the male homeowner retrieved his own gun. When the burglars came back up the stairs, the homeowner fired several shots.
Nathan A. Hug, 24, returned fire, and police say was able to shoot at the homeowner three times before the homeowner was able to stop him.
Police records said, “One of the individuals, Nicholas Hug, did discharge three rounds from his rifle before being shot and killed by the homeowner,”
Police say that the burglars ran off and were driven away by a Joi T. Griffith of Wooster.
She drove Hug to nearby Aultman Hospital, where he later died. Griffith was detained by police at the hospital.
She was arrested and charged with murder for the death of her accomplice. Police are still looking for the other burglar.
Police said that the homeowner had reported a break-in at his house the week previously, but don’t yet know if the events are connected.
There is no known connection between the burglars and the homeowners.
These ruthless thugs wouldn’t have batted an eye about killing the couple in their bed.
Ohio’ law charging accomplices with murder if their friends are killed during a crime doesn’t even deter criminals like these.
If the homeowner hadn’t had a gun, this story would likely have had a very different, tragic headline.