Homeowner exchanges gunfire with would-be burglar

CEDAR RAPIDS - Ten shots rang out during a shootout between a Cedar Rapids homeowner and a man who was trying to break into his house early this morning.

Police said no one was struck by any of the gunfire at 225 11th St. NW. Officers, some with assault rifles, swarmed the area around 12:10 a.m. when the incident was reported, but no arrests had been made by midmorning.

Matt Beranek, 31, said he was dozing on his couch when someone knocked on the front door. He found it odd since his friends usually call first, especially at that hour.

"Something told me to go grab my pistol," Beranek said. "I came over, opened up the blinds, and there were his eyes, right there looking back at me."

In a split second, Beranek said, he and the suspect were in a battle over the door, which was unlocked. Beranek pushed back, but his socks slipped on the hardwood floor.

"I braced myself off the wall and pushed back," Beranek said. "It was shut for a second, and then he opened it again. That's when I cocked my gun."

Beranek said the suspect responded by firing three rounds. Two made it inside the house, with one hitting a stereo speaker. The other hit the door frame.

Beranek said he fired seven shots through the door. Five hit his wife's car parked on the street, and two others hit the screen door as it was closing when the suspect ran away, he said.

The whole ordeal lasted about 20 seconds, Beranek said. His wife and 2-year-old son were in a bedroom on the main floor, while his 9-year-old daughter was upstairs in her bedroom.

Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said investigators recovered spent shell casings from the suspect's 9-millimeter handgun. A small amount of blood was found on the door, leading them to believe the suspect suffered a minor injury.

Police said the suspect is a black male, about 6 feet tall, who was wearing a mask that covered the bottom part of his face. Beranek said the man had the hood up on his dark-colored sweat shirt.

Beranek said the suspect ran east between houses toward an alley and 10th Street NW. He did not see if other people or a car was involved. The suspect left a small blue Reebok duffel bag behind, he said.

Beranek, a stay-at-home father after a broken neck slowed his construction career, said he bought the pistol for protection about seven years ago and goes target shooting most weekends.

"Hopefully, they'll think twice before they come back to my house," Beranek said.

The couple said three unfamiliar men were in the neighborhood Sunday. One man walked between Beranek's  and a neighbor's house while Beranek was outside smoking. Beranek said he told the man to use the alley rather than walking through his property.

The man apologized, called Beranek "sir" and walked down the street. He came back a short time later and asked if anyone had the time.

It remained unclear whether any of the men were involved in the attempted break-in.

In light of the incident, the couple plans to invest in a solid door that is more secure. They already have a security system inside the house but might now add a camera to watch the front porch.

"It's scary, very scary," said Beranek's wife, Bobbi Jo. "It makes me want to move."