Kalispell police arrested a 19-year-old California man in connection to a home invasion during which the homeowner was stabbed in a fight with the intruder.
Dante Kier, of Santa Barbara, Calif., is accused of entering a residence on the southeast side of Kalispell on Dec. 12 and attacking a man who was at home with his wife and children.
According to the Kalispell Police Department, the homeowner was working on a kitchen appliance and went outside to get a tool from the garage. Kier allegedly entered through the unlocked front door, and attacked the homeowner shortly after he walked back into the house.
The victim was able to overpower the intruder, police say, and was able to physically restrain Kier while the man’s wife called 911 at about 9:35 p.m. When officers arrived on scene, they found the homeowner just inside the front door, restraining the intruder.
The homeowner was bleeding after being stabbed during the attack, and was taken to Kalispell Regional Medical Center to be treated and then released.
The man’s wife and children were not harmed, police said.
Kalispell Police Department detectives will continue their investigation. KPD recommended that the Flathead County Attorney’s Office charge Kier, who recently moved to Kalispell, with attempted deliberate homicide and aggravated burglary.
Police ask anyone with information pertaining to this incident or possible events leading up to it to contact the Kalispell Police Department at 406-758-7780, attention MPO Chad Zimmerman.