ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — William McKinley woke up to his dogs barking around 5 a.m. Saturday and went outside his Four Hills home to see what was going on.

He never made it back inside.

Police found the 55-year-old home remodeler stabbed multiple times in front of his driveway in the 1500 block of Soplo Road SE, his father-in-law sitting on his chest to try to slow the bleeding. Paramedics took McKinley to a hospital, where he died.

Albuquerque officer Simon Drobik said police think that McKinley confronted two thieves who had broken into his car, and that at least one of them stabbed him. No one had been arrested by Saturday night.

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Before he died, McKinley told police two men had been trying to break into his truck and fled in a dark-colored Jeep.

The assailants were gone when police arrived and they haven’t been identified.

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“It appears that it was an auto burglary in progress that progressed from a property crime to a violent crime,” Drobik said.

He said police have been noticing a trend in crimes like this.

“These property crime offenders are now without hesitation turning into violent offenders,” Drobik said.

He said police ask victims to be “good witnesses” and get a license plate number instead of trying to stop a crime.

But he said people have the right to defend their property and understands why they do.

“It’s hard not to defend your property,” he said.

Valerie McKinley says her dad owned a gun and had a concealed carry permit but apparently didn’t have the gun with him when he went outside early Saturday.

“It doesn’t seem like he knew there was any danger,” she said. “I don’t get it. I know if he saw someone out there, he wouldn’t have come out unarmed.”

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Source: Nicole Perez and Robert Browman, abqjournal.com/696969/news/police-respond-to-stabbing-in-albuquerque.html