Resident fends off robber with machete, police say (+video)

The caller simply told 911 that he needed the police, so officers weren’t sure what they would encounter Monday afternoon north of downtown Wichita. It turned out to be unusual.

When officers arrived in the 1100 block of North Topeka shortly before 3:30 p.m., they found a man walking who had an ugly gash on the right side of his forehead and a finger on his hand that had been all but amputated, Lt. James Espinoza said.

The man gave little information about what had happened, so the officers followed the blood trail to a house. The 65-year-old man who lives there let the officers inside and told them the other man had knocked on his door, Espinoza said.

The resident let the visitor in, only to be attacked and beaten. The resident then grabbed a machete and struck the visitor in an effort to protect himself, Espinoza said. The would-be robber, who is homeless, then left.

The homeowner was trying to be nice and assist the homeless man, Espinoza said. His story about the incident remained consistent, while the other man changed his account and was vague with answers, police said.

The homeless man will be arrested once he is released from the hospital, Espinoza said. He has “a very serious head injury” caused by the machete, Espinoza said. The man’s virtually severed finger was not in condition to be reattached, he said.

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 12:30 PM with the headline "Resident fends off robber with machete, police say (+video)."