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MARQUETTE -- It's every homeowners' worst nightmare:  an intruder breaking in.

"There's a lot of different ways to protect yourself.  First off, have your home well lit from the outside, make sure the bushes are trimmed back from the house so it doesn't give people a place to hide.  Most importantly, be cautious of the people you're hanging out with and who you're inviting to your home," said Marquette City Police Detective, Mike Waise.

If someone appears to be breaking in, police say immediately call 911, and only use force as a last resort.  This was the case last May when a heavily intoxicated man broke into a Marquette home on Pioneer Road.  The homeowner shot him twice in the leg, sending the intruder to the hospital.

There is a law on the books covering such a case called "The Castle Doctrine."
   
"The law presumes that if someone is breaking into your home, then you have a presumption that that person might be breaking in to cause great bodily harm, like rape or to abduct. Then if you're mistaken in that presumption, you may not claim self-defense claim," Weise said as he explained the law. 

Apart from simply locking the doors to your house and car, keep a watchful eye and remember strength in numbers.         

"I think as a community we need to look out for each other, number one. If something doesn't look right, check it out, talk to your neighbors, call the police if you think something suspicious is going on."