Sheriff: Burglar Held at Gunpoint by Landlord

ATHENS – An Athens landlord foiled a burglary in progress Tuesday, holding the suspect at gunpoint and calling deputies to take him to jail, according to Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse. Tommy Kirk, 55, of Malakoff was charged with burglary of a habitation and altering the vehicle registration windshield tag on the truck he drove to commit the crime on County Road 1408 just outside Athens. Tuesday morning, the homeowner at that address said he saw the suspect loading an air compressor and hose from the house into the bed of the pickup. Using his vehicle, he blocked Kirk’s escape route, held him at gunpoint, and called 911, according to Hillhouse. During the arrest, deputies said they noticed Kirk had illegally altered the windshield vehicle registration sticker using a black, permanent marker.