‘He defended himself’: Lindsay home intruder (Michael Breen) had crossbow, court documents allege — as neighbours question resident’s (Jeremy McDonald) assault charges : r/CrimeInTheGta

Homeowner Jeremy McDonald was charged with aggravated assault for using a knife after an intruder allegedly broke into his apartment, court documents say. By Jason Miller Crime Reporter A Lindsay man broke into an apartment armed with a crossbow leading to an altercation with a homeowner wielding a knife, court documents say. The case made headlines last week, after Jeremy McDonald, the homeowner, was charged with assault and aggravated assault for using a knife after an intruder allegedly broke into his apartment on Aug. 18, court documents detailing the charges against him said. Michael Breen, 41, now faces numerous charges, including possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, break, enter and theft, mischief under $5,000 in connection with the damage of a window at McDonald’s apartment and failing to comply with an 18-month probation order which began in June 2024. Recent court records for Breen show that he has other outstanding charges before the courts including the illegal use of a credit card. A court ordered warrant for Breen’s arrest was issued on June 19 after he allegedly failed to attend court. Jesse Kalabic, who operates Thirteen Tattoo shop in the unit directly below McDonald’s second-floor apartment, said he saw him the day after the incident and that he was “distraught about,” being charged in the confrontation. “He’s concerned,” about the legal ramifications, Kalabic said. “It’s become a very big issue now and he doesn’t want to be in the spotlight.” Kalabic said when he arrived to open his shop that morning, he was met by a team of forensic investigators going in and out of the building, that has street level access via a door located next to the shop. He said there are four apartment units, including McDonald’s on the second floor of the property which has commercial units, including his tattoo shop located on the ground floor. Kalabic, who knows both men charged in the altercation said, “it’s a small town and we all know each other,” adding that he has known both men “since we were kids,” but sees McDonald frequently and has maintained close ties to him. Kalabic said a person could easily get access to the roof of the building via an attached fire escape staircase at the rear of the property. Once on the roof of the neighbouring pizza shop, an individual could walk straight up to a bedroom window and access McDonald’s apartment, Kalabic said, adding he believes it is the access point used by the suspect to enter the apartment. “They went through his (young) daughter’s bedroom window,” Kalabic said. “Luckily she wasn’t there.” Kalabic said McDonald woke up to an intruder and saw that he had a weapon. “He defended himself,” he said. Kalabic said it’s unfortunate that McDonald, who works in construction, is now facing charges, when he did not initiate the conflict. He hopes that the government will look at reforms to the laws around the level of force a person can use to defend their home that “doesn’t leave the burden on the homeowner, who should always be seen as the victim.” Charmin Eckertt, who operates the neighbouring Charmin’s Wholesome Foods Catering, said word of the break and enter is causing some of her staff to be “nervous to be here at night.” She said McDonald, who lives in the apartment above her business, is a “very nice man.” She said there was recently a leak coming from his apartment that was impacting her business, and he was responsive and “very caring and considerate,” about trying to solve the problem. “I realize there’s that excessive force thing in the law, but people should be allowed to defend themselves inside their home,” she said. “It could’ve easily been any one of us.” The case has garnered the ire of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who told reporters last week that “something is broken,” adding that he was perplexed by how the accused, who was previously wanted by the police, on separate offences, is alleged to have broken into the man’s Lindsay home and the homeowner, “gives him (the intruder) a beating, and this (homeowner) guy gets charged.” The premier said it’s expected that “you’re going to fight for your life,” when faced by the threat of an intruder in your home. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre appeared to join the discussion in an X post on last week, saying “if someone breaks in, you deserve the right to defend your loved ones and your property — full stop.” https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/he-defended-himself-lindsay-home-intruder-had-crossbow-court-documents-allege-as-neighbours-question-residents/article_82f45cb2-01fb-48c6-a5e9-29d997b32fa2.html Previous Posts: https://www.reddit.com/r/CrimeInTheGta/comments/1mupdfn/man_arrested_after_assaulting_intruder_inside_his/ https://www.reddit.com/r/CrimeInTheGta/comments/1mvvd2m/kawartha_lakes_police_defend_charging_resident/ https://www.reddit.com/r/CrimeInTheGta/comments/1mwri9k/ont_man_jeremy_mcdonald_charged_with_assaulting/ https://www.reddit.com/r/CrimeInTheGta/comments/1n19lgw/opinion_first_reading_you_can_legally_shoot_stab/ For more on this story: https://www.instagram.com/p/DNovp5Zu5HW/?igsh=c3J5dTlqemhza29v