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A family dog shot and killed in a home invasion helped police catch his alleged killer. A Pit Bull mix who was defending a woman and her son from three armed robbers managed to bite one of the men during the violent incident in Barberton, Ohio. But as the thieves were fleeing the home, one of the men shot the dog.

Police at the scene of the crime swabbed the dog's mouth for DNA evidence after learning the brave dog had bit one of the men in the arm and leg.

They sent the DNA for analysis back in October when the home invasion occurred. A few months later the DNA evidence was processed and they got a potential match. Police sought out David Stoddard, 24, and were making arrangements with Stoddard's attorney to turn himself in when they discovered Stoddard was already in jail.

David Stoddard, 24, has been accused of shooting Jessica Halman, 19, and Anna Karam, 16, inside a home in Akron, Ohio in January. Anna, who was pregnant, died.

A Summit County grand jury indicted Stoddard for aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary this week. Police credit the DNA with having solved the case. “We were just as amazed, too, that it actually worked when we did the DNA swab and that it came back to a positive match, so we were pretty shocked by it because we didn’t have any leads on the investigation,” Eberhart said.

Police continue to search for the two other men involved in the robbery.

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Related:

• Protective Pit Bull stops armed intruders from stealing baby from home
• Loyal Pit Bull saves mother and child from home invader
• Brave Pit Bull survives four bullets while defending owner from home invader
• Brave Pit Bull defended adoptive family from armed intruder and survived being shot in head

• Pit Bull
• home invasion
• DNA
• criminal
• murder