Homeowner receives 51 stitches after fighting intruder

A Milwaukee man is recovering with more than 50 stitches after fighting off an intruder on the East Side Thursday night.

It happened near Cass and Brady Street. Just minutes earlier a woman’s purse was stolen in the same area. The suspect was spotted a few blocks away a short time late. But that suspect is still on the loose.

CBS 58 spoke with the parents of that man who battled the suspect in his home. They say their son was on the couch when the suspect entered the home, grabbed a knife, and started fighting with their son. They say his wife was also home but she was upstairs and unharmed.

“My wife answered the phone and almost immediately broke into tears,” explains George Ferriter, father of Peirce, the man whose home was invaded. “My first apprehension was that something terrible had happened.”

Sue and George Ferriter got that alarming phone call last night about their son. They learned he was at the hospital after battling with a late night intruder.

“He had 51 stitches but he was fine,” says Sue Ferriter. “the man picked up a meat cleaver in the kitchen, a fight ensued, and the man ran away.”

That suspect left behind a bloody trail that lead police to neighboring homes and businesses.

“There was a trail of blood that lead from here over into the yard and there was blood on my cellar door,” says Lesa Ystea a neighbor. “This place was quarantined until about 1:30 in the morning. I couldn’t get into my apartment.”

Neighboring businesses say incidents like this one have them taking new safety measures.

“There was a pool of blood in the back,” says Yolanda, who works in the same area. “We’ve always been a little bit cautious on Brady Street but with all of the instances that have been happening, we actually lock our door during business hours.”

Yolanda works at a local hair salon where customers now get buzzed in.

“We’re fortunate,” says Sue. “We have to look at how fortunate we are that he’s out of the hospital and doing well.”

Sue and George say Peirce is a Veteran and they believe his experience and training in the service helped him in this scenario.