Man arrested for home invasion; friend shot

 BILLINGS (AP) — A 37-year-old Billings man is charged in a home invasion in which a second suspected burglar was shot in the leg.

Danny Jo Lira made an initial appearance in Justice Court Tuesday on charges of felony aggravated burglary by accountability and obstructing a peace officer. He did not enter a plea. Lira’s District Court arraignment was scheduled for May 28 and he remained jailed Wednesday with his bail set at $50,000.

Charging documents allege Lira and Christopher James Michelotti forced their way into a house late Sunday, causing its six residents — including a 5-month-old baby — to retreat to the basement.

The homeowner warned that if the suspected burglars followed, he would shoot.

Court records say when Michelotti started down the basement stairs with a handgun, the homeowner shot him in the leg. Michelotti was taken to the hospital. His condition was not immediately available. He is expected to face charges in the break-in as well.

Police interviewed the man who shot Michelotti and released him, court records said.

Some of the people in the home where the shooting took place had been at Lira’s trailer house earlier Sunday. They said Michelotti was hiding behind a door with a handgun and appeared to be high on illegal drugs. One of the visitors reported seeing drugs and drug paraphernalia at Lira’s residence. They said they felt uncomfortable, so they left.

Lira was injured in a 2009 shooting. A co-worker grazed his forehead with a bullet during an argument at work over the length of Lira’s break times. The co-worker was not charged after Yellowstone County prosecutors determined he was defending himself.