Search continues for intruder who hit man in face during burglary

87-year-old victim died after he was injured at his DeLand home

DeLAND, Fla. – The search continues for a person who hit an 87-year-old Florida man in the face during a burglary.

Dispatch: "911, what is your emergency?"
Caller: "Yes, I'm bleeding very bad. Send somebody ... Somebody broke into my house and hit me."
Dispatch: "When did this happen?"
Caller: "Just now."

Detectives said Carl Husfeld, 87, passed away Thursday last week after he was injured during a burglary at his home.

Deputies are still looking for the intruder.

"You don't know who's who. You don't know what they're up to, and you can't always assume someone has good intentions, bad intentions," neighbor Kira Denardo said.

Denardo, who lives on the same street, said she was home during the break-in and remembers seeing a person cutting through backyards.

"There was someone that had cut across the backyard that morning and I just assumed they were passerbys, and that's about it," Denardo said.

Deputies said the suspect forced his way inside the home and when Husfeld went to check the door, he was hit in the face.

Caller: "I opened the door to see who was trying to get into the house, and then the door hit me. He slammed the door in my face."
Dispatch: "When did this happen?"
Caller: "I'm bleeding, I'm bleeding!"

"It was a tough injury for him, for anyone to the face and unfortunately, he wasn't able to survive," said Andrew Gant, of the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.

Neighbors are now taking precautions.

"You're going to want to make sure now, your doors are locked, your windows are shut properly," Danardo said.


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