Deputies: Burglar falls down stairs, is killed while breaking into home A South Carolina burglar died in a fall down a flight of stairs in the home he had broken into, the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office said Thursday. Lt. Tony Ivey said that the South Blackstock Road home undergoing extensive renovations was empty, NBC station WYFF of Greenville reported. See the original story at WYFF4.com When a painter arrived at the home at about 8:30 a.m. ET Thursday, the worker found signs of a break-in and broken glass inside the home, so he backed out and called the homeowner, who called 911, Ivey told WYFF. Deputies found the man's body at the foot of the basement stairs, Ivey said. There were no signs of anyone else having been in the house, and the unidentified man is believed to be the person who broke into the home, Ivey said. "It's an unfortunate accident that happened during the commission of a crime," Ivey told WYFF. Vacant homes are frequently targeted by burglars looking to steal fixtures, appliances or copper wire, Ivey said. The house had no appliances but copper was found in the man's back pocket, he said. Ivey told WYFF that the man broke into the home sometime after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, the last time the homeowner was in the house. The coroner said an autopsy will be performed to confirm the specific cause of death, but he believes the man was killed by the fall.