Oregon Woman Finds Intruder In Child’s Bedroom, Shoots Him

When an Oregon mother came home to find a stranger in her daughter’s bedroom, she didn’t hesitate before grabbing her handgun and shooting the man dead.

Early in the morning on June 26, the 33-year-old woman, Tara-Alexis Ford, reportedly returned home with her two children – a 5-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter – when she saw the unfamiliar face of a 59-year-old stranger, reports KGW. According to reports from the Portland Police Department, the woman fired at least one shot at the man.

Police found the man dead and later identified him as David Daniel McCrary. The Oregon State Medical Examiner completed the autopsy on June 27 and determined that the man died from a single gunshot wound.

McCrary does not have a criminal record or any known connection to Ford, though the man may have been struggling with mental health issues.

Ford’s neighbors are shaken by the event and worry that something similar could happen to them.

“Great for her for defending herself and her family,” said Critty Haughwout, Ford’s neighbor. “I think it’s unfortunate too, though, that it has to come to that.”

Detectives believe that McCrary, who is not from the neighborhood, broke into Ford’s house by climbing through a back window. While her children were in another room, Ford reportedly entered her daughter’s bedroom and found the man, where she shot and killed him.

The woman reportedly cooperated with police and was not arrested, although an investigation is ongoing. When it concludes, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office will review the case and decide whether or not to press charges.

The district attorney’s decision will likely hinge on whether or not Ford was found to have acted in self-defense, and, if so, the circumstances surrounding it. In Oregon, it is legal to use deadly force in defense of oneself, others or property only when another person is using or preparing to use deadly force, whether in one’s home or not, notes Portland criminal law firm Kroll & Johnson.

There is no current law in Oregon that allows a homeowner to use deadly force against an intruder if they are not facing a proportionate threat.

Sources: KGW, Kroll & Johnson / Portland Police Bureau via KGW