Brooklyn Tenant Kills Burglar With Intruder's Own Knife in Flatbush Struggle

A 45-year-old Flatbush resident fatally stabbed a paroled burglar with the intruder's own knife after a violent struggle inside his apartment.

Brooklyn Man Fatally Stabs Paroled Burglar in Self-Defense Struggle on Avenue D

A 45-year-old Brooklyn tenant fatally stabbed an intruder with the burglar's own knife during a violent struggle inside his Flatbush apartment late Friday, NY Post Metro reports, citing law enforcement sources.

The tenant had just returned home from a soccer game when he stepped out of the bathroom and came face-to-face with 34-year-old Dan Costume, who was carrying two cellphones and a laptop taken from the apartment. The front door had been left unlocked by the resident's wife while she ran an errand.

"He was in shock that there was a random person in his house," a relative of the tenant said, translating the man's account from Spanish.

The tenant grabbed Costume from behind, but the intruder refused to drop the stolen items. The two men began "battling between each other," according to the relative. Costume bit the resident's hands and cheek before stabbing him in the neck, a family member told The Daily News.

During the struggle, the tenant managed to turn the knife on Costume, stabbing him in the leg and back. He then forced the wounded burglar into the hallway, where Costume collapsed on the stairwell and dropped his stolen goods.

Both men were transported to Kings County Hospital Center. Costume died of his injuries. The resident was listed in stable condition and has since been released.

Public records show Costume had been on parole since 2024 after serving prison time for attempted burglary.

The tenant was briefly taken into custody, but his arrest was later voided, sources told NY Post Metro.

"He was acting in self-defense," the relative said. "Everything happened so fast."

Blood stains remained visible on the staircase walls the following Monday. "I saw the blood, but I don't know what happened," a neighbor in the building said.

Source: NY Post Metro