Two ways to do this...

A couple of 'Guns DO deter crime' stories in Washington tdoay:

Would-be burglars flee as Wash. woman brandishes gun

Bonney Lake resident shoots at would-be burglar's truck

Of these two stories, I feel a little better about the first one...woman hears someone trying to enter the house, and greats them with a pistol.  The two young folks decided at that point that they had someplace better to be.

The 2nd one, in Bonney Lake ends on a bit more of a question mark.  If I had a chance to think about it, I'm not sure I would admit to firing a round off in the direction of the retreating truck.  If you are still taking shots once the immediate threat has been removed, you are setting yourself up for some serious questioning by law enforcement folks. 

Either way, one would hope that both of these close calls will cause some folks to decide that a life of crime does not pay.