A burglar found himself on the business end of a baseball bat early Sunday morning after one of the residents caught the suspect in the middle of the act.

An incident report from the Madison Police Department said just before 3 a.m. a 19-year-old Madison man arrived home to find a stranger in his living room with a laptop in hand.

MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain said after the victim saw the man attempting to steal the laptop, he told the suspect to return it. Following the initial confrontation and the suspect’s refusal to drop the laptop, the suspect made motions as though he had a firearm.

The charade attempt did not convince the victim.

Taking up a baseball bat, the victim took a swing at the suspect, connecting with the man’s neck. The suspect was able to make his way outside to a waiting bicycle; the victim pursued and a struggle ensued.

After being punched in the ear, the victim struck the suspect in the knees and followed up with a swing to the head as the suspect attempted to flee on the bicycle.

The blow to the head knocked off the suspect’s headphones and sent him staggering into the street, causing him to drop the laptop. The victim was able to retrieve the laptop, but in doing so lost control of the bat.

The suspect took the bat and, while on the bicycle, delivered a blow to the victim’s stomach before fleeing.

“He (the suspect) at one time had control of the baseball bat, but the victim sustained only a glancing blow from the suspect,” DeSpain said.

The victim told police he was unhurt and said he felt he had not seriously injured the suspect.

It was discovered following the event that an iPod Touch and some money had been stolen but not recovered from the suspect.

“The overall advice is for people who are being victimized is not to put themselves in further danger and to contact police to let them intervene,” DeSpain said. “But sometimes you will certainly have to make decisions to protect yourself or your property when put in a situation such as this.”