Grandpa Throws Intruder Off Roof After Hours-Long Standoff

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Grandpa Throws Intruder Off Roof After Hours-Long Standoff

An 83-year-old grandfather ended an hours-long standoff after he pushed an intruder off of the roof of his California house.

On Sept. 12, Wilford Burgess propelled the unidentified suspect into the air after he caught him jumping from roof to roof in his La Puente neighborhood.

According to KABC, Burgess became agitated at the five-hour ordeal after he received a phone call from his daughter at church, and decided to grab his neighbor's ladder and resolve the matter himself.

"That sucker's coming off," Burgess reportedly told the police deputies and crisis negotiators at the scene.

In a video filmed by his 23-year-old granddaughter, Ashley Wrenn, Burgess and the suspect are shown on top of the one-storey house, grappling before the latter is pushed off.

"You come to my house, you don't have to worry about him because I'll be all over it 'cause I'm going to load up," Burgess told KABC.

While it's unclear if the suspect was injured, authorities stated he was either mentally ill or on drugs. Following his arrest, he was taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.

Captain Tim Murakami of the Industry sheriff's station said the stalemate came to a close when Burgess "got tired of his games and pushed him off."

While a surprising act for someone in their 80s, Burgess said it's important for him to stay in shape and maintain his health.

"I tell everybody, 'Just because you're old, that don't mean you got to sit down. As long as you're able to move, move,'" Burgess said.

And his favorite workout? Lifting the donations that people give to his church.

Would you have the courage to confront an intruder on your roof?

Maya has been working at Shared for a year. She just begrudgingly spent $200 on a gym membership. Contact her at maya@shared.com