Elderly man kills car burglar

A 70-year-old Clermont man shot and killed a burglar who he said refused to get out of his truck.

The homeowner, Russell Conrad, heard the horn to his pickup truck, which was parked in driveway of his home in the 8700 block of County Road 561, beeping at around 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

Conrad grabbed a gun and went outside, where he found 32-year-old Steve Hilson inside his truck. According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Conrad fired a warning shot into the air and ordered Hilson out but Hilson locked himself in the vehicle.

Conrad told investigators he unlocked the door to his truck and told Hilson to come out. When Hilson finally came out, Conrad opened fire. He told deputies he was in fear for his life and that Hilson came towards him when exiting the vehicle.

Hilson lived in the same neighborhood as Conrad. He had a prior arrest in Lake County earlier this year for a DUI.

Detectives are continuing to investigate this incident to determine exactly what happened. The case will be presented to the State Attorney's Office for review.