ONALASKA, Wis. – An Onalaska man had a horrific tale for police: Late Saturday night, the man said, he had gotten out of bed after hearing an intruder and then was blasted in the face by a blowtorch. The man explained that he had been out with friends and returned home. He said he was aware there had been a break-in but decided to rest a bit before calling police. Three hours later he woke up and realized that items had been moved while he slept. He spotted someone walk past the door at the top of his stairs. Then, when he reached the doorway, he got a a lit propane blowtorch in his face. The intruder slammed the door on the homeowner’s face, shoved the torch nozzle under the closed door, and clicked it several times. The homeowner said he was afraid the man was trying to light his house on fire. The homeowner escaped through a basement window and called police. Police indeed found burn marks under the door and melted carpet. Also, the homeowner’s truck missing from his garage.
