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      BOGOTA (CWNews.com) - Two Colombian nuns were under house arrest on Sunday after they fatally shot a burglar in their convent, whom they said they were only trying to warn off.

      Sisters Eva Maria Silva and Luz Adelia Barragan have admitted they fatally shot a man who broke into the El Topo convent in Tunja, 80 miles northeast of Bogota, last week. Their lawyer, Gilberto Rondon, said the nuns tried to shoot their gun in the air but accidentally hit Severo Mendez. Investigating noises in a dark cloister, Barragan fired three shots into the shadows before Silva grabbed the revolver and fired again.

      The nuns bought the gun in 1981, following a series of attempted robberies, Rondon said, and recently started nightly patrols after six break-ins this year. The convent houses a valuable collection of art, including a 16th century portrait of the Virgin of the Miracles, decorated with a gold crown and scepter.

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