CrimeNov 09, 2026
Jeweler Pistol-Whipped, $900K in Jewelry Stolen During Home Invasion The incident, which happened in Miami-Dade County, serves as a reminder to jewelers of the dangers of selling and storing jewelry at home.
EditorsMay 16, 2007
Rethinking citizen use of firearms
I am not a proponent of firearms, believe me. The events that occured at Virginia Tech last month proved to anyone that firearms in the hands of the wrong people can be disastrous. But the shooting of two would-be robbers...
I am not a proponent of firearms, believe me.
The events that occured at Virginia Tech last month proved to anyone that firearms in the hands of the wrong people can be disastrous.
But the shooting of two would-be robbers at a Broward, Fla., jewelry store last week have me thinking twice. Yes, the shootings ended the life of a 17 year old, but that teenager had more than one arrest on his record, according to the Miami Herald.
"You never wake up in the morning thinking you have to protect your family this way," Hugo Villalta, owner of Bentley's Jewelry, told local television station CBS-4 on Tuesday. "The main thing is I was able to protect my wife and son."
Perhaps Villalta would not have been able to protect his family were it not for Florida's relatively lenient gun laws. The state's new "Stand Your Ground" law allows citizens to defend themselves without first attempting to retreat. In other states, Villalta's actions may have been considered criminal, although I firmly believe he was in the right.
The entire incident makes me sick. Two lives have ended, and the teenager's 24-year-old accomplice remains in the hospital in critical condition. He is facing murder charges. And the lives of Villalta, his wife and son (who was in the back room during the altercation) will likely never be the same.
"We're praying for the victims and their parents," Villalta told the television station.
Me too. But I am also praying for Villalta and his family.
To see a news report on the incident, click here.
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