Sarah Risch 
Dec. 8, 1992 
Sarah Risch, A Guest At Valley Crest Nursing Home, Plains Township, Formerly 
Of Wilkes-barre, Died Tuesday At Valley Crest.

All Of Us Have A Stake In 
War On Drunken Driving 
(editorial) 
Good News From The People Who Keep Luzerne County's Statistics: The Number Of 
Drunken Driving Arrests So Far This Year Is Significantly Lower Than Last 
Year.

Wednesday, December 09, 1992 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1D QUICK WORDS: EXETER BURGLARY PISANO 





HAPPENED -- Jim Pisano demonstrates how he shot at a pair of burglars who
broke into his Exeter business early Tuesday morning and grabbed a hunting
rifle. He said the incident made him nervous. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 *********************************** &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A man watching TV football at his Exeter business runs into some real-life
excitement &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 By JAMES RUBIN &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Times Leader Staff Writer &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 EXETER -- Two burglars who allegedly stole a hunting rifle early Tuesday
morning are lucky to be alive, a Susquehanna Avenue business owner said some
12 hours after wounding one of the thieves. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jim Pisano, 55, who founded Pisano Fence &amp; Manufacturing Co. 17 years ago,
said the burglars broke a window to his office and grabbed one of his prized
rifles. That's when he reached for his gun, and fired. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I'm upset that I didn't kill both of them," Pisano said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The incident occurred at 1:45 a.m. and officially is listed as an attempted
burglary, Exeter police chief John McNeil said Tuesday afternoon. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Police are looking for two suspects in the case, said McNeil, who didn't
plan to file charges against Pisano. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The businessman said he fell asleep while watching ABC's "Monday Night
Football" on a large television perched in one corner of his small L-shaped
office. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pisano said he awoke when his beagle, Dawn, started barking. He watched in
stunned silence as the robbers smashed through the window, reached in and
grabbed his .30 caliber hunting rifle that was leaning against a wall. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Groping through the darkness, he found his pistol, which he'd put in a desk
drawer, took aim and fired. The pellets peppered sections of a Venetian blind
and ripped into the burglar's arm and shoulder. The man, about 10 feet away,
groaned when he was hit, Pisano said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The burglars escaped by crawling under a chain link fence that borders most
of the property. They drove away in a gray four-door Ford Escort. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pisano fired at least 10 more shots at the bandits, emptying a .38 caliber
pistol, which he used to wound the burglar, and then running outside and
firing several rounds from a .22 caliber hunting rifle as the men drove off. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I just wanted to protect my property," said Pisano, a bald, rugged looking
man with big brown eyes that were red around the rims from lack of sleep. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 His business manufactures, sells and installs chain link fences. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Self-described as an avid hunter and expert marksman, Pisano said he owns
more than 10 guns and keeps several of them at his business. Four deer heads,
including two massive eight-point bucks, decorate his office and a neighboring
waiting room. He said he normally carries the .38 caliber pistol in an ankle
holster. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I love my guns," he said. "You never see me without my guns." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The business has been the target of at least seven other burglaries over
the past three months, Pisano said. He has lost several thousand dollars in
equipment, guns and cash. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I'm a little nervous," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McNeil said he was aware of four incidents, but could not say why Pisano's
business was being targeted. He said there was no evidence that the same men
had been involved in all of the incidents. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 An investigation is ongoing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pisano said he shot the burglar in the arm with a scatter bullet, which is
filled with small pellets. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Police removed a section of the blind that had been splattered with blood. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pisano said he shot again and then moved outside where he tried to line the
men up in the scope of his rifle as they scrambled to their car about 50 feet
away. Later he tried to shoot out the tires. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TRIMMED HERE &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Although he lives a short distance away in Exeter with his wife and
daughter, he stood guard at the business for the rest of the night, pacing the
grounds with his rifle on his shoulder. He plans to do the same thing until
the robbers are caught. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I'm not afraid of nobody," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I'm upset that I didn't kill both of them." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jim Pisano &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Property owner

Exeter Break-in Met With Gunfire *********************************** Photo Times Leader/richard Sabatura How It