Mesa police identify suspected armed intruder shot by homeowner

Police have identified a suspected intruder who was shot by a woman after he broke into her Mesa home on Friday.

According to Mesa police spokesman Detective Jason Flam, 29-year-old Elijah Jones broke into a home near Main Street and Alma School Road in the early morning hours.

The woman who owned the home told police she was doing yardwork in the cool morning weather when she heard a loud noise that startled her. She then received an alert from her security system that there was movement near her carport door. When she entered her house, Jones was standing in her kitchen, court documents said.

The woman repeatedly told Jones to leave, according to court documents. When he didn't move, she went into another room to get her gun. When she returned to the kitchen, Jones was still standing there, now holding a large knife over his head, court documents said.

Jones started walking toward her into the living room where he aggressively "started advancing on her," court documents said. The woman shot him once in the abdomen, according to court documents. 

When officers arrived, the woman was standing in her driveway holding a gun. Jones was found bleeding on the living room floor with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, court documents said.

Jones survived the shooting and was taken to the hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. He was later released from the hospital and booked into a Maricopa County jail on suspicion of first-degree burglary and aggravated assault.

Reach the reporter Jamie Landers at jamie.landers@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter @jamielanderstv.