Former rugby wingman tackles burglar
By Jim Sterne
News Editor
"I haven't felt such exhilaration since I was a wingman on the rugby team of John Carroll College," said Matthew Dalton, owner of Beannet, an Internet service provider, at 2945 N. Broadway. Dalton ran after and caught an intruder, John Graziano, 33, a former employee living in the 1000 block of W. Stratford Pl., at 5 a.m. Saturday, April 12. Graziano has been charged with criminal damage to property and will appear on May 3, in Br. 29-4.
Dalton was working early when he heard noises from the front of his store. In his bare feet, he went to investigate.
"I saw this iron hook coming through a gap near the air conditioner. He was going to push up the security bar and get in," Dalton said. "I didn't know who was out there but I knew I had the element of surprise if I attacked. I looked around and grabbed the first thing I saw for a weapon — a broom with a bamboo handle."
"I threw the door open fast and saw a man standing on a chair holding the iron hook. I jammed the broom handle into the guy's ribs. He fell off the chair and started running."
"I ran after him in my bare feet, shouting, 'Call the cops! He's a thief!' Someone called 911, someone who was out walking the dog or going to work." Dalton caught up with the subject at 558 W. Wellington Ave. and slammed him into a parked car.
"'Show your hands,'" I shouted because I didn't know if he had a weapon. He wouldn't stop fighting me. He said 'Wait, let's talk this over.' 'No,' I said, 'You're going to jail.'"
"I told him to lock his fingers behind his head but he wouldn't so I punched him in the nose. He kept fighting so I threw him to the ground and ripped off his glasses so he couldn't see and punched him again in the face before he finally stopped fighting. By this time the cops came and took over. The evidence technicians got a big kick that I took the guy down in my bare feet," Dalton said.
Dalton has been written up in The Wall Street Journal for opening the first Internet cafe in America. Now he's newsworthy for thwarting a burglary. What's next, Matt?
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