California homeowner shoots intruder who tried to burglarize house: police

An armed California homeowner shot at a group of would-be burglars who broke into his house in a Los Angeles neighborhood Monday, police say.

Police say that at least two suspects entered a home in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Valley Village at around 3 p.m. when they were confronted by the homeowner who opened fire and struck one of the perpetrators twice with a semi-automatic handgun.

The other suspect fled before police arrived on the scene a short time later.  

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Police found the 25-year-old suspect injured inside the home, located at the 11600 block of Addison Street, while the homeowner, who was in the house on his own at the time, was also injured, LAPD Capt. Kelly Muniz said at a press briefing Monday.

Muniz did not say how the owner was injured but that he was transported to a local hospital. She believes the home was randomly targeted.  

The injured suspect, who has not been identified, was taken to the hospital and is in critical condition. It is unclear if the home invaders were armed. 

"Two suspects entered a residence with an occupant inside," Muniz said. "That occupant armed himself with a handgun and fired at the potential burglars that were inside of his home."

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"I can’t confirm if there was a physical altercation, but I do know that the [homeowner] was injured during this incident and transported to the hospital."

Muniz said that the at-large suspect is described as an African American male in his early 20s.

Police set up a perimeter around the neighborhood while they searched for the remaining suspect and residents were urged to stay indoors, Fox 11 reports. 

Muniz said burglaries have increased across the city of Los Angeles. 

"Moving forward, the best line of defense is knowing your neighbors and being aware of who’s around, ensuring that you secure your windows," Muniz said. "The weather is increasingly getting warmer, leaving windows open invites burglars as well, so just being aware of those sort of preventative measures."

In April, a homeowner shot a burglar inside a gated home in coastal Newport Beach, California.