(OH) Woman kills man who breaks in her house 03-11-04

<http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/8165015.htm>; Mar. 11, 2004
Man shot to death in Canton
Woman calls 911 to report acquaintance attempting to break into
apartment. Officers say her daughter fired gun at intruder By Kymberli
Hagelberg
Beacon Journal staff writer

CANTON – The first time Carolyn Warren called police, she wanted to be
rescued from a man she said was trying to break in her door.

Three minutes later, she called back to say the man was in her
apartment, but she didn’t need to be rescued anymore.

The man was shot dead.

Kenneth G. Riggs, 38, died about 12:30 a.m. Thursday of a gunshot wound
to the head. He was shot inside Warren’s apartment on Mahoning Road
Northeast, less than a block from his home.

Canton Police Lt. Tom Thomas said the two women in the apartment knew
Riggs, but he declined to describe their relationship. Police say the
shooter is a 31-year-old woman, who Thomas said was identified in the
911 call as Warren’s daughter.

The mother apparently made the calls and the daughter allegedly fired a
.22 rifle at Riggs twice after he forced his way into the apartment.

Police did not arrest the woman. Thomas said information from the
shooting investigation will be turned over to the Stark County
prosecutor.
A telephone number listed for Warren was out of order Thursday.

Riggs, who lived in the 2600 block of Mahoning Road Northeast, had a
history of arrests in Stark County that stretched back to the late
1980s. Court records include a one-year prison sentence for illegal
possession of a firearm and using a weapon while intoxicated. The
records also list multiple arrests on charges of assault, aggravated
burglary, menacing, drug abuse and violating a protection order.

A neighbor reached late Thursday afternoon said he was shocked to learn
that the sirens that roared down his block hours earlier were connected
to Riggs’ death.

“I thought he was a nice guy,?? Michael Merinar said. “He?s been
in the downstairs apartment for six or seven months.

“I knew he?d been in and out of jail, you could tell he had some
problems with aggression. But
I?m disabled, and he was always around to help carry things upstairs.
When his kids were here on the weekends, he?d make sure they?d check
to see if I needed anything.??

Merinar, who has lived in his Canton apartment for five years, said
Riggs’ only shortcoming as a neighbor was the guests who would come and
go at odd hours, and the occasional loud arguments with a girlfriend.

“I think that was her house where they found him,?? Merinar said.
“I met her a few times. I could hear them screaming and hollering, but
everyone does that sometimes.??

In the last few weeks, Merinar said Riggs wasn’t doing much yelling at
anyone because surgery to his vertebrae had strained his vocal cords.

“It changed him,?? Merinar said. “He had a big boisterous voice
before. They told him it would heal, but it was still raspy.??

Riggs was pronounced dead at the Stark County Coroner’s Office at 3:30
a.m. An autopsy had not yet been scheduled late Thursday.