The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office reported that Michael James Brooks II of Columbus was hospitalized Friday after attempting a home invasion Thursday. On top of the Ohio murder charge, Brooks faces Georgia charges of burglary, home invasion and theft by receiving when he is released from the hospital.
Brooks arrived in the Peach State sporting a long criminal history. This included being charged with the fatal stabbing of Emily Foster in Columbus last week and the carjacking of a Ford truck in Ohio that was recovered outside the Georgia home.
The homeowner was alerted to a possible intruder by his security system just before 2 a.m. on Thursday and called the sheriff’s department. By the time deputies arrived, Brooks was already shot.
The two encountered each other in the basement of the residence, and the suspect was shot once there.
The homeowner then retreated upstairs to defend his family and wait for deputies, but Brooks came after him. The now wounded home invader indicated that he would have to be killed to be stopped.
It was then that the second shot was fired.
Fayette County Sheriff Barry Babb told reporters that deputies found the suspect coming down the stairs with a pair of bullet wounds, and still they had to struggle to arrest him.
Investigators said they believe Brooks looked at several homes in the neighborhood before eventually choosing one at random. They are attempting to determine why he left Ohio and if there is a Georgia connection.
The fatal stabbing last week occurred after another home invasion, making the Fayette County homeowner’s actions even more necessary.
It is not out of the question that the same tragic result could have been the outcome in Georgia as well. Only the presence of a firearm and the defensive actions of a determined homeowner stopped what was obviously a desperate and violent criminal.
