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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Volusia County sheriff's deputies are asking for help solving an attempted burglary case that ended with an elderly man dead around one year ago. It happened on December 8, 2016.
In the early morning hours, investigators say 87-year-old Carl Husfeld called 911 after a man tried breaking into his home on Oak Circle.
“I opened the door to find out who was trying to get into the house, and the door hit me -- he slammed the door in my face! I’m bleeding! I’m bleeding,” Husfeld told a dispatcher in the call.
Investigators say the burglar took off and Husfeld was left with a fractured nose and skull.
“Fourteen days later, our victim succumbs to his injuries and passes away,” said Sheriff Mike Chitwood.
Around a year later, Chitwood admits trying to solve the case has been tough.
“There’s very little physical evidence, at 6:50 a.m., it’s still dark outside. There’s not many people that were up and saw what happened,” he explained.
Deputies are desperate for more information about the man who attempted the break-in.
“I don’t think the person meant to hurt my father, in fact my father surprised him,” said Husfeld’s son, Carl, who lives in California, “but still, what happened, happened, and my father is gone, because of this person’s actions. So I definitely would like to see them brought to justice.”
Chitwood says he thinks the suspect told someone about what happened.
“We’re asking if you know it – do the right thing. Do the right thing, get $10,000 out of it, you help solve a murder, give closure to the family and take a guy off the street,” Chitwood said.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office or Crimestoppers.