Intruder shot, killed in Lawrence County home invasion was a relative of resident
The intruder who was fatally shot by an 84-year-old homeowner during a home invasion attempt early Friday in Lawrence County turned out to be the elderly man’s relative, according to investigators.
Ellwood City police said Dennis Mercadante, 49, of Mercer was one of two men who broke into Don Lutz’s home in Ellport around 1:10 a.m.
Mercadante was the nephew-in-law of Mr. Lutz, according to police.
“I was really shocked because I didn’t know,” Mr. Lutz said on the phone Saturday.
Mr. Lutz, a Korean War veteran, said he was sleeping when heard the men break in through the front door. He said he grabbed his .380 semi automatic, walked down the hallway and confronted one of the men, who grabbed him.
That’s when, police said, Mr. Lutz shot Mercadante in the chest at point-blank range, killing him. The other man ran from the house and has not been identified.
“Those guys came to kill me,” Mr. Lutz said. “I don’t regret killing him.”
Police and the Lawrence County district attorney decided not to charge Mr. Lutz, concluding that the shooting was done in selfdefense. Investigators said they were able to identify Mercadante by using his fingerprints and facial recognition at a state police lab in Greensburg.
Mr. Lutz said it was dark when the men broke into his house, and he didn’t immediately recognize Mercadante after the shooting. He said he realized it was Mercadante after police showed him a photo of the man on Saturday.
Mr. Lutz said he had known Mercadante for years. Mercadante, he said, was a drug user and had been in and out of jail.
Court records show Mercadante had a criminal history dating to the 1980s and had been convicted of burglary, theft and other charges.