Niles man catches suspect

Staff report

NILES

A Black Oak Drive man who awoke to the sound of his dog barking and someone inside his house last week retrieved his handgun, caught a 19-year-old city man in his kitchen and held the gun on the man until police arrived.

Matthew Z. Joseph, 19, of Robbins Avenue, posted $2,500 bond and was released Friday morning after appearing in Niles Municipal Court on a felony- burglary charge resulting from the Thursday incident. He was not required to enter a plea to the charge.

Joseph returns to court at 9:15 a.m. Friday for a preliminary hearing.

When a Niles police officer arrived at the home, the homeowner was holding his gun on Joseph, who was on his back on the kitchen floor.

The homeowner said Joseph was sitting on a kitchen counter when he discovered him.

Joseph told police he was not breaking in, that he thought he was in a friend’s house. If convicted, Joseph faces up to 18 months in jail.