Civilian Gun Self-Defense Blog

PACOIMA (KABC) -- A gunman is dead and the search for another suspect is on after an attempted robbery in Pacoima.

It happened Saturday at a liquor store on the 10000 block of San Fernando Road.

Police say two men walked into the store demanding cash.

But when one of the suspects pulled a gun, the owner of the store shot and killed him.

Labels: business robbery, CA

Man Shoots and Wounds Suspected Burglar

A 51-year-old Oakland man shot and wounded a suspected burglar who was trying to break into the house he was renting in the 600 block of 59th Street about 8:15 a.m. today, according to Oakland police spokesman Roland Holmgren.

Holmgren said the suspect, 31-year-old Nathan Cooper of Oakland, was on parole for previous narcotics convictions and has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and violating his parole.

He said Cooper, who lives around the corner from the house where the shooting occurred, suffered a gunshot wound to his chest and was "touch and go" at one point but now is in stable condition at Highland Hospital in Oakland.

Holmgren said the man who was living at the house told police he heard noises from the rear of his house and when he went to investigate he saw the silhouette of a man who appeared to be holding a gun.

The resident told police that he feared for his life and fired two shots, according to Holmgren.

An initial investigation concluded that the 51-year-old man was justified in shooting Cooper and there are no plans to arrest him, Holmgren said.

Holmgren said the man, who lives along, was "a little bit shaken" up by the incident, which he described as "a traumatic experience."

The shooting today is the third time since last Thursday night that a resident or a merchant shot a suspect who was involved in criminal activity.

On Thursday night, a clerk at an Eighth Avenue market shot an 18-year-old Pittsburg man who was trying to rob the store with an accomplice.

On Saturday night, the owner of a 23rd Avenue liquor store shot a suspected robber after the man had shot him during a failed robbery.

Holmgren said it appears that Oakland residents and business owners "are tired of being infringed upon" by armed robbers and are taking matters into their own hands.

Holmgren said Oakland police "are always worried about the vigilante factor," but he said that in the three recent incidents the victims all appeared to be justified in shooting at the suspects.

"In these incidents, the criminals came to them and brought the crime to them," as opposed to cases in which people actively hunt down suspected criminals, Holmgren said.

Labels: CA, home invasion

Lake County dentist shot wife in self-defense, police say

A Lake County dentist acted in self-defense this weekend when he shot and critically wounded his estranged wife, who was coming at him with a pickax, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Department.

Chief Deputy Sheriff James Bauman said Dr. Don Johnson, who operates Willow Tree Dental in Lakeport, does not face charges following the shooting of his wife, Margaret Johnson, during an incident at his Kelseyville home late Friday. He said Margaret Johnson was wounded by a single gunshot to her neck and was in stable, but critical, condition at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

Bauman said Margaret Johnson was served with a restraining order Friday afternoon, a court order he said Don Johnson had sought "as a result of ongoing troubles with their relationship." He said Johnson's wife had left their Kelseyville home as a result of that order.

However, about 9:40 p.m. Friday, deputies responded to the home, where they found Margaret Johnson lying wounded on the floor.

Don Johnson told investigators that after he had gone to bed, he heard a woman screaming outside the home. He said he reached for a handgun and was calling the Sheriff's Department when he heard the sound of glass breaking at the rear of the house. He said that when investigating the sounds, he saw his wife entering the house armed with a pickax.

He told investigators he fired one shot, she fell to the floor and he returned to the telephone to complete his call to deputies.

"Based on evidence that Dr. Johnson acted in defense of his own life, he was not taken into custody," Bauman said. "Criminal charges against Margaret Johnson are pending further investigation of this incident."

Labels: CA, domestic dispute, home invasion

LA mini market clerk fatally shoots would-be armed robber

Los Angeles police say a mini market clerk has shot and killed an armed man who was trying to rob the business.

Officers responding to a shooting call Saturday afternoon in the San Fernando Valley found 30-year-old Marvin Sanchez lying on a sidewalk shot to death.

Investigators say Sanchez walked into the Del Gaudio mini market, pulled a handgun and demanded money. The male clerk grabbed a handgun and shot Sanchez.

The incident is under investigation.

Labels: business robbery, CA

Oakland liquor store worker shoots robbery suspect

An employee of an Oakland liquor store shot and wounded a would-robber, police said today.

The incident happened about 9:30 p.m. Thursday at the Wah Fay liquor store near the corner of East 21st Street and Eighth Avenue in the city's San Antonio neighborhood, police Sgt. Larry Krupp said.

The employee opened fire after two men entered the store and demanded money, police said. The injured suspect, whose name was not immediately released, was taken to a local hospital. The wounds did not appear to be life-threatening, authorities said. It was not immediately known what happened to the other suspect.

The shooting comes at a time of heightened concern over robberies in the East Bay.

Police in Oakland, Emeryville and Berkeley are investigating a series of eight takeover robberies at restaurants over the past month. Oakland police are also trying to identify a man they have dubbed the "Chicken Hawk" because of his tendency to rob fast-food restaurants that serve chicken.

The liquor-store shooting also underscores the measures some store employees are taking.

In April 2007, the owner of a pizzeria at 89th Avenue and International Boulevard in East Oakland shot and killed a would-be robber armed with an assault rifle. A month later, a clerk at a liquor store on 28th Avenue in Oakland shot and killed a 17-year-old who had fired first.

Labels: business robbery, CA

Cigar-store clerk foils robbers by taking away gun

A cigar store clerk foiled an armed robbery attempt by two men and a woman Saturday, San Diego police said.

The three entered a cigar store on Balboa Avenue near Genesee Avenue in Clairemont about 1 p.m., and the woman pulled out a gun and demanded money, police said.

The clerk managed to take the gun away, and the three left empty-handed.

The woman was described as white, 30 to 35 years old, heavy-set with long blond hair. She wore a blue jacket and blue jeans.

The men were described as white, 30 to 35 years old, with medium builds and average height. They wore blue shirts and blue jeans.

Labels: business robbery, CA, criminal's gun taken away and used against him

Neighbor apprehends burglar after pursuit

Deputies from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man yesterday afternoon after neighbors in Blue Lake allegedly caught him during a home burglary, a news release stated.

At about 2:45 p.m. a woman reported to the Sheriff’s Office that she saw a man enter her next-door neighbor’s residence on the 400 block of Chartin Way.

The woman told the Sheriff’s Emergency Dispatchers that her son, Steven Wilson, 49, armed with a handgun, had attempted to apprehend the suspect inside the residence and was now chasing him toward Rancheria Road.

Deputies arrived a few minutes later and found Wilson detaining Ryan Bush, 21 of Eureka. Further investigation revealed that the suspect had allegedly forcibly entered the locked residence on Chartin Way and removed several items. There was also significant vandalism inside the residence, including broken doors, light fixtures, furniture, and scratched wood floors.

When Wilson confronted him, the suspect fled from the house. Wilson fired a single “warning shot” and told the suspect to freeze, but he continued to run.

The suspect ran through backyards and private driveways until Wilson was able to catch and detain him near Rancheria Road.

Bush was treated at a local hospital for a laceration he sustained either during the burglary or the pursuit. He also had a previous injury that required medical attention.

Bush was then transported to the Humboldt County jail and booked for burglary. His bail was set at $50,000 and he is expected to be arraigned Friday.

Labels: CA, residence burglary

Police: Boy, 13, shot man in self-defense

A Visalia woman whose common-law husband was shot and killed Wednesday was moving out of the couple's south Visalia home when the incident occurred, neighbors and police said.

Witnesses said Joe Ray Martinez, 38, tried to stop the woman from doing so and got into an altercation with another man.

"That's when [Martinez] drew a gun and threatened to shoot everyone, including kids," said Terry Anderson, a neighbor in the quiet cul-de-sac on South Thomas Street near Paradise Avenue.

One of the "kids" at the home was a 13-year-old boy.

The boy emerged from the home and shot Martinez in "a clear case of self-defense," Visalia Police Department Sgt. Ernie Villa said.

"There will be no arrests," Villa said.

History of violence, abuse

Martinez had a long history of violent behavior, with felony convictions in 2000 and 2001 for assault with a nonfirearm deadly weapon, according to court records.

Violence was common in the South Thomas Street home, Anderson said.

"The abuse was terrible for the other people living there," said Anderson, who said the family had moved into the house about four months ago.

Martinez also had 23 vehicle-code violations since 1993 and twice was convicted of misdemeanor witness-threatening, records show.

In 2001, he was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

He had a gun Wednesday, too.

"[Martinez] waved the gun at everyone there," Villa said.

"All the stories from all the witnesses we talked to were consistent."

The case is now being handed over to the Tulare County District Attorney's Office.

Villa said he expects officials there to agree that the shooting was a matter of self-defense.

Further links:
13-Year-Old Shoots and Kills Man In Self Defense

Labels: CA, domestic abuse, minor defender

Motorcycle Shop Owner Shoots At Intruder

Police are still looking for a burglar who may have been shot by a business owner in central Bakersfield Tuesday morning.

The Bakersfield Police Department said an alarm tipped off the owner at about 4:30 a.m. at a motorcycle repair shop on Chester Lane.

Police said when he arrived, he noticed someone inside the garage. They said the man then charged at the owner, who managed to get off several rounds from a pistol.

It's unknown if the man was hit. The man escaped.

Labels: business burglary, CA

CONTRA COSTA CO.: SUSPECT IN BAY POINT KILLING SHOT ROOMMATE IN SELF-DEFENSE

A Bay Point man arrested last week on suspicion of fatally shooting his roommate was released from jail Friday after prosecutors decided the slaying was in self-defense, Contra Costa County Sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee said today.

Andrew Mahler, 33, was detained for questioning Tuesday shortly after sheriff's deputies found his roommate on the sidewalk in front of their residence at 44 Pensacola St. in the unincorporated community of Bay Point suffering from a gunshot wound, Lee said.

The roommate, 31-year-old William Lenox, was taken to John Muir Medical Center in Concord where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy found that he died form a gunshot wound to the abdomen, Lee said.

The shooting had reportedly occurred inside the roommates' residence, Lee said. Mahler had then allegedly gone over to a neighbor's house and either he or the neighbor called for help shortly after 5:30 p.m.

Deputies took Mahler to the station to question him and then officially arrested him at about 10:45 p.m., Lee said. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on suspicion of murder, but when investigators presented the case to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's office Friday, prosecutors declined to file charges and Mahler was released Friday afternoon, Lee said.

Labels: CA, domestic dispute

Labels: business burglary, CA

Teen robber shot by intended victim

A teenager robber was shot and killed in Watts Saturday morning.

According to a police spokesperson, 17-year-old Joe Beck was hiding behind a pole in the 1200 block of East 140th Street, waiting to hold-up his intended victim.

Moments after approaching the victim, who was in his vehicle, Beck produced a gun and demanded money.

The victim--also armed--produced a weapon and shot the suspect in the chest. Beck later died at an area hospital.

Police are still investigating details of the shooting.

The intended victim's name has not been released.

Labels: CA, street robbery

Downtown LB Resident Shoots & Kills Alleged Intruder

On Friday Feb. 8 at about 4:38 p.m., LBPD responded to an incomplete 911 call in a condominium complex in the 200 block of Seaside Way and discovered that a male subject had been fatally shot.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the victim, a 26 year old man who resided at the complex, was in his home when he discovered a suspect entering his residence through a window.

The victim [resident], fearing for his safety, armed himself and fired at the suspect.

Police immediately responded to the scene along with LBFD Paramedics who pronounced the suspect dead at the scene.

At this time, the suspect is only being identified as a 21 year-old LB resident until next of kin is notified.

Due to the circumstances involved, this incident is being investigated as a justifiable homicide.

Labels: CA, home invasion

El Dorado DA identifies dead suspect; hails gun-wielding neighbor

The El Dorado County District Attorney's Office has identified the 33-year-old man who the DA said was responsible for Sunday's stabbing rampage which left one man dead and one man wounded as Behnam Pazoki.

Pazoki, who family members described as mentally ill, was visiting relatives in El Dorado Hills on Sunday when he grabbed a kitchen knife and chased terrified relatives into the street. During the rampage, which occurred on the 1000 block of Venezia Drive, Pazoki stabbed Vahid Seyedin, 47, the owner of the home he was staying at, and killed his uncle Ahmad Pazeky, 58, according the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office.

Pazoki was ultimately shot by a neighbor, Shahin Kohan, 47, who witnessed the attack and came to the family's aid armed with a handgun, sheriffs said.

In a press release issued today, the district attorney's office said that after Kohan warned Pazoki to stop, Pazoki turned his attention to him and other neighbors that had gathered around watching the horror unfold.

"Mr. Kohan's actions directly prevented other people and himself from being seriously injured or killed," the release said.

El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson called Kohan's actions heroic in the release.

""All too often the term hero is applied to situations where it is inappropriate...," Pierson said in the release. "Mr. Kohan was a bystander whose quick action, done at great risk to him, likely saved lives and certainly prevented additional injuries. Mr. Kohan, by any definition, is in fact a hero."

Sheriff's Deputies briefly detained Kohan on murder charges following the incident, but quickly released him after the facts of the case were reviewed.

Further links:
Homicides in the hills: Two dead after altercation

Labels: assault, CA

A man shoots a suspected thief three times and is released by police

A homeowner shot and wounded a man who he said was trying to steal a motorcycle from the back of his pickup early Friday morning on the 100 block of Victoria Court.

Police barricaded the street after the shooting shortly after 3:30 a.m., and the suspect was taken to a hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries.

Sean Dunbar, 31, shot 18-year-old Christian Bautista of Stockton three times in the hand and shoulder after a brief footchase, said Tracy detective Craig Kootstra. Bautista was taken to Sutter Tracy Community Hospital.

Dunbar kept him at gunpoint until police arrived. Bautista’s .38-caliber revolver was lying in the middle of the street and he was conscious when officers got on scene.

Officers questioned Dunbar and released him, while Bautista was arrested on suspicion of theft, assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a loaded firearm with the intent to commit a felony and carrying a concealed firearm.

Further links:
Man arrested in shooting after release from hospital

Man confronts, shoots armed suspected thief

Labels: CA, street property theft

Crestline man shoots mountain lion

A man shot a mountain lion Thursday evening after the animal attacked his dogs.

San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies said the resident at the corner of Playground Road and Summit Drive fired at the lion about 10 p.m., causing the lion to flee from the man's fenced back yard.

Sheriff's deputies searched the area but could not find the mountain lion.

They notified officials with the Department of Fish and Game about the incident.

Sheriff's officials advised residents to use caution when outside and notify authorities when a mountain lion is spotted in the area.

Labels: animal, CA

Man Shoots Another in Self Defense

No charges will be filed against a man who shot and killed another man in southeast Fresno on Christmas.

Police say it was self defense.

Investigators say a 26-year old man showed up at his ex-girlfriend's home on east Belgravia, around 4 a.m. to demand to see their baby.

Police say he hit the woman, pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot her.

The woman's cousin was in the home and shot the ex-boyfriend.

Police say he saved both mother and baby.

Police say the suspect had just been released from prison was deported to Mexico, but returned to the U.S.

Further links:
Man Kills In Self-Defense

Labels: CA, domestic dispute, illegal alien

Clerk shoots robber dead, chase closes I-10

A convenience store robbery-gone-wrong ended with one suspect dead and westbound Interstate 10 traffic backed up for nearly two hours Friday.

Three armed suspects entered the Y and M Market in the 1500 block of Second Street in Coachella about 11:30 a.m., according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

That's when they encountered something they may not have expected.

"The store clerk armed himself and shot one of the suspects," Sheriff’s Deputy Herlinda Valenzuela said.

It wasn't immediately clear what type of weapons the suspects had or how many times the man was shot.

Neighbors, though, said they heard three gunshots at the time of the robbery.

Emergency crews responded to the scene and took the unidentified man to John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, where he died.

The sheriff's department is investigating the incident as a homicide, but the employee has not been charged.

The other two suspects fled the scene in a small sport utility vehicle, which may have been a green GMC Jimmy, Valenzuela said.

"They left the injured man behind," she said.

The suspect vehicle collided with another one near Tyler Street and Avenue 50. The second vehicle followed the suspects onto I-10 and confronted them in an area between Cook and Washington streets.

Authorities arrived at the scene and shut down all westbound lanes until about 1:45 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

The two men were arrested on unspecified charges and their names, ages and residences have not been released.

Neighbors think the suspects were not from the area because all the nearby residents know the family that owns the market.

"The owner’s good — he’s a nice guy," said Jerry Larios, who lives down the street from the market.

The owner declined to comment on the incident, but neighbors said the market has been around for at least 15 years and had been robbed several times.

The Desert Sun reported in January 2002 that a robbery there left a suspect injured from two gunshot wounds.

The owner said in 2002 it was the third time he was robbed at gunpoint in four years.

Further links:
1 Dead, 2 Would-Be Robbers Nabbed In Coachella

Labels: business robbery, CA

Fresno business owner shoots at men after they robbed him

The owner of Jazzy Jeans at Fresno Street and Fagan Alley in downtown Fresno reported that he shot at three men after they held him up and took money and clothing, Fresno police said.

The owner said the robbers were fleeing in two cars south on Fagan Alley when he fired three shots at them.

Two of the robbers were armed with handguns, the owner told police.

Police said it was not known whether anyone was hit by the gunfire.

The robbery was reported shortly after 2:30 p.m Saturday.

The owner's name was not made public.

The investigation is continuing.

Labels: business robbery, CA

Armed store owner foils robbery

Two masked gunmen held a North Park liquor store owner's daughter at gunpoint Thursday night but ran off when the owner pointed a gun at them.

The robbery try occurred at United Market and Liquor on University Avenue near Hamilton Street shortly before 10 p.m.

San Diego police said one of the men walked from the front door to the counter, while the other came in the back door and stepped behind the counter. He raised a handgun to the woman's head and demanded cash.

The store owner, sitting by the front door, pulled out his own pistol and aimed it at the robbers, police Sgt. Rich Nemetz said. The masked men ran away without getting any money.

Police did not release a detailed description of the robbers.

Labels: business robbery, CA

Homeowner shoots at armed burglary suspect

A Bakersfield home-owner shot at an armed burglary suspect, scaring off the would-be crook Monday night. Sheriff officials say the resident has the right to protect himself with deadly use of force.

The incident happened in the area of Gosford and Lindsey Roads south of Bakersfield. The home-owner told Eyewitness News his property had been the target of crime and attempted burglaries three times in the last 18 months -- that's why he was ready with a gun.

The resident says he spotted the suspect trying to break into a front window of the house he built on the property for his son. They were both at the father's house when they heard the dog bark, and went to investigate.

The home-owner then spotted an unfamiliar man in the yard. "As soon as the unfamiliar male saw the home-owner, he raised what appeared to be a handgun toward the home-owner," Sheriff's Sgt. Ed Komin told Eyewitness News. "The home-owner took one shot toward the suspect, and the suspect fled on foot."

Sgt. Komin says it appears that shot did not hit the suspect. Officers who immediately came to the scene found no blood or any other indicators where the suspect took off.

The resident told Eyewitness News he saw the would-be burglar raise a gun, and he didn't want to be shot -- so he fired at the suspect.
Sgt. Komin says a resident has the right to shoot an intruder to protect life.

"Certainly when the home-owner was threatened by what appeared to be a gun coming up toward him, it would be appropriate and prudent -- and that's the thing to do, is to use deadly force to protect yourself. That's the appropriate and legal thing to do."

Other neighbors say there have been several break-ins in the area. At one house, jewelry and computer equipment were stolen. Another neighbor came home to find suspects inside his house.

The suspect in the Monday night incident is described as a man of unknown race, about 5'9" and 170-pounds. Anyone with information can call the Sheriff's Department at 861-3110.

Sheriff officials confirm that there have been a number of burglaries and thefts. They do not know if this is the work of the same suspect.

The resident who shot at the suspect Monday night thinks the area is the target of crime because it's fairly rural. Neighbors say they have now started up a citizen patrol.

What can home-owners do to protect themselves and their property?

"Dogs are great, alarms are great -- lighting goes a long way and that sort of thing to protect property," says Sgt. Komin. "Now, once it crosses the line where a person is threatened -- then higher levels of force, of course, are appropriate."

Labels: CA, trespassing

Home-invasion robbery suspect arrested

An Adelanto man has been arrested after an intruder broke into a home and narrowly escaped being shot by the homeowner Saturday.

Lawrence McGirt, 29, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of residential robbery, according to a sheriff's news release.

About 1:45 a.m., deputies got a call about a robbery in the 15000 block of Barranca Way.

Some of the neighbors came to realize the suspect was a relative of theirs who had earlier been to their home demanding money, officials said.

Investigators say McGirt later walked across the street and kicked down the front door of a neighbor's house. Upon hearing the ruckus, investigators said the homeowner grabbed his .38-caliber handgun and went into the hallway, where he saw McGirt getting up off the floor.

As McGirt stood up, he pulled something from his waistband and pointed it at the homeowner and instructed him to get down, officials said.

The man shot at the intruder four times but did not hit him, officials said. The owner ran from the house.

Investigators were able to track down McGirt at about 6 a.m. in 10900 block of Aztec Lane in Adelanto and arrested him. He was booked at the Victor Valley jail on suspicion of robbery with gang enhancements, as well as a parole-warrant hold with no bail.

Labels: CA, home invasion

Fairfield Man Killed In House Invasion

An autopsy was scheduled for Monday on a Fairfield man who was shot Saturday night during an apparent home invasion robbery.

The Solano County Coroner's Office identified the victim as 48-year-old Timothy Banks.

Fairfield police said Banks was fatally shot and his 17-year-old son also was shot in their home in the 200 block of Holly Drive.

Lt. Al Bagos said Banks' wife called police around 11:34 p.m. Saturday. She said she awoke to find her husband and an intruder struggling over a rifle in the upstairs bedroom. The gun discharged, striking Banks in the head and torso and the intruder fled, Bagos said.

The teen was found shot downstairs and he was taken to the John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, where he was in fair condition, Bagos said.

Police said it appears there were two intruders. One of them is a dark-skinned male approximately 17 years old who was wearing dark clothing, Bagos said. Police are investigating a motive for the shootings.

Labels: CA, defender killed, home invasion

(CBS) INDIO, Calif. An Indio man disarmed and fatally shot a would-be intruder early Tuesday during a struggle that left the resident with a gunshot wound in his foot, authorities said.

Police sent to a home on Hamilton Court in the Indian Palms Country Club at 1:30 a.m. found the body of 31-year-old Genaro Chavez Munoz lying partially in the front window of the residence, according to Ben Guitron with Indio police.

The preliminary investigation indicated that the homeowner was awakened by the sounds of someone trying to enter his home through the front window, according to Guitron.

"The homeowner managed to disarm the intruder and shot him several times, killing him in the process," Guitron said. Police believe there may have been other suspects outside the residence who ran away after the shooting, he said.

The homeowner, whose name was not being released, was taken to John F. Kennedy Hospital.

Guitron said no charges would be filed against him at this time, but that the investigation was ongoing.

Labels: CA, defender shot, residence burglary

Store clerk shoots man wielding knife

A liquor store employee shot a 27-year-old man Wednesday night after the man attacked the clerk with a knife.

At about 8 p.m., Daniel Perez had entered AA Liquors at 1305 Niles St. and asked a clerk and his wife to kill him, according to a news release by the Bakersfield Police Department.

Perez pulled out a knife and hit the male clerk on the left thumb, according to police. The cut was minor.

The clerk took out a gun and shot the suspect in the right arm.

Perez then went to a cooler, stole a beer and exited the store, police said.

Officers arrived and ordered the suspect to lie down, according to the news release.

Perez did not listen and was arrested after a police dog dragged him down, according to the news release. The suspect hit the dog several times with the beer bottle.

Perez was taken to Kern Medical center with a gunshot wound to his right arm that had entered his chest. The wound was non-life threatening, police said.

Labels: business robbery, CA

Neighbor Shooting

Prosecutors today plan to dismiss murder and assault charges against an ex-Marine and his wife accused in the fatal shooting of a neighbor whose girlfriend sought their help at a University City condominium.

William Bennett Porter and Nicole Leanne Porter pleaded not guilty Aug. 7 in San Diego Superior Court.

William Porter was charged with murder and an allegation that he personally used a firearm in the shooting four days earlier that killed 47-year-old Larry Kermit King.

Nicole Porter was charged with assault with a semiautomatic weapon.

Deputy District Attorney Marcella McLaughlin told a judge this summer that around 2 a.m. on Aug. 3, King and his ex-girlfriend got into some sort of dispute and she went to the Porters' residence for help.

William Porter tried to arrest King, then shot him several times in the back, the prosecutor alleged.

A bullet from Nicole Porter's gun also struck the victim in the neck, McLaughlin told Superior Court Judge David Szumowski.

The prosecutor alleged that King was retreating back into his condo in the 7900 block of Avenida Navidad when he was shot.

Defense attorney Kerry Armstrong said William Porter served four years in the Marine Corps -- including three tours of duty in Iraq -- before getting out in the fall of 2006.

The defendant -- who was working as a weapons and tactics instructor in Twentynine Palms -- has no record and is a "squeaky-clean guy," the attorney said.

Armstrong said at the time that the case was a strong self-defense case.

Today, McLaughlin refused to comment further before a scheduled afternoon hearing.

Labels: altercation, CA, female

Store manager shot into house while pursuing thief
Homeowner fears for safety after discovering bullet holes made by .357 Magnum

A Hollywood Video store manager who fired his .357 Magnum revolver at an escaping thief Sunday night thought he hit the thief's getaway vehicle, but instead hit the front door of a house on Toler Avenue.

The homeowner, who asked not to be identified, said he noticed a bullet hole in his door Monday morning when he was getting the newspaper.

"It's a very unsettling thing," the homeowner said. "I don't think anybody should be firing a gun in a residential neighborhood. He could have killed me or my fiancee. I'm pretty upset about it."

Late Sunday night, a man wearing a hockey mask robbed the Hollywood Video store at 300 Davis St. The masked man zip-tied an employee and forced the store manager at gunpoint to empty the contents of the store safe and cash registers into a white plastic bag. When the thief fled the store with about $700 in cash and change, the store manager, armed with a handgun, chased after him.

The thief was getting into his car on a dark street a few blocks from the store when the store manager yelled at him to stop.

According to the manager, the thief then turned and faced him, still wearing the hockey mask and with the gun in his hand.

"He turned around and drew on me," the manager said. "I could see his gun clearly because of the dome light from his vehicle."

The manager said he fired his gun and then ducked behind a parked car. The thief then jumped in his car and drove off.

(More)

Labels: business robbery, CA

Homeowner kills; second burglar to be charged with murder

A Bakersfield homeowner who killed an intruder Monday night acted in self-defense, the Sheriff's Department says, but a surviving burglar will be charged with murder in connection with the death of his crime partner.

That was the latest development Tuesday afternoon as detectives sorted out what happened in the 15000 block of Westdale Drive, near Renfro and Brimhall, in northwest Bakersfield.

Sheriff's spokesman Ed Komin gave this account:

Just before 10 p.m. Monday, Ulises Aaron Espino, 19, and Alberto Torres, 18, went to the home of 44-year-old Steven Stewart.

"It appears that Torres and Espino went to Stewart's residence intending to enter the house and burn it down," Komin said in a news release. A flammable liquid was found inside the house, Komin said.

Torres stayed in the car, while Espino tried to climb into a window. Stewart, the resident, had a shotgun and fired at the intruder, the release said.

Espino was wounded, but made it back to the car. Torres drove him to Calloway Drive and Rosedale Highway, where he stopped and called for an ambulance. The ambulance took Espino to the hospital, where he died. Torres was arrested.

The Sheriff's Department will seek criminal charges against Torres, accusing him of the murder of Espino. Even though it was Stewart who fired the fatal shot, and although Torres and Espino were partners, Espino's death can be considered a murder because it is a death resulting from the attempted commission of a felony.

Torres also was booked on charges of attempting to murder Stewart, for attempted arson, for conspiracy and for participating in a street gang.

Labels: CA, residence burglary

Juvenile shot, killed during Yucca Valley burglary

A juvenile was shot and killed while attempting to burglarize a Yucca Valley home Wednesday evening, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

The incident happened about 6:30 p.m. in the 2800 block of Longview Avenue when the teenager and another juvenile tried to break into a home.

A third suspect, 18-year-old Duncan Nicholson, waited outside in a getaway vehicle, according to the sheriff's department.

An investigation determined the homeowner pulled out a gun when he heard somone knocking at his door. He armed himself because his home was robbed several times in the past month.

The juvenile and two suspects are suspected of committing the burglaries, according to the sheriff's department.

The homeowner fired his gun when the two juveniles forced their way into the home, killing one of them and hitting the second suspect in his arm.

The two remaining suspects fled the scene, but later returned with the juvenile's father.

The younger suspect was booked into a local juvenile hall and Nicholson was taken to the Morongo Basin Jail, both on murder charges.

Labels: CA, home invasion, residence robbery

Man Acquitted In 2 Shooting Deaths

Daniel Kenric Karlsons Allegedly Shot His Girlfriend, Her Brother In Self-Defense

A man charged with murdering his then-18-year-old girlfriend and her brother more than three years ago was acquitted by a jury in the shooting deaths, his attorney said Wednesday.

Daniel Kenric Karlsons, 30, was found not guilty of two counts of murder and one count each of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in a verdict returned late Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center, according to defense attorney Arnold Lieman.

Jurors believed Lieman's argument that the killings were in self-defense.

Elizabeth Morales and her 25-year-old brother Roberto Morales Jr. were fatally shot in February 2004 while sitting in an Acura on Long Canyon Road east of Desert Hot Springs.

"My argument throughout the trial was self-defense," Lieman said. "Roberto Morales took a shot at my client before he got shot."

Karlsons and the siblings were in the Acura with a fourth person when he and Roberto Morales got into a dispute over Karlsons' treatment of his sister.

"Roberto was intoxicated, and I think the liquor took over causing him to act irrationally," Lieman said.

Bullet casings found in the front of the Acura and gunshot residue found on Roberto Morales' hands may have swayed the jury in favor of acquittal, Lieman said.

Karlsons was arrested outside a Calimesa motel based on a tip received by sheriff's detectives that Karlsons was in a room there.

Labels: altercation, CA

Suspect in store robbery shot by clerk

An attempt to rob a convenience store went awry Friday night when the store clerk pulled out his own gun and shot one of the suspects in the chest in an exchange of gunfire, police said.

The suspect, a man in his 20s, remained in critical condition Saturday.

The clerk was standing in front of JR Market on National Avenue at 38th Street at 10 p.m. when he was approached by two men armed with a handgun, San Diego police said.

When they pointed the gun at him, the clerk pulled out his own handgun and they exchanged fire.

The suspects escaped in a gray mini-van.

About 20 minutes later, a woman called to report that a man had been shot.

Officers who responded found a man lying in a van on 30th Street suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest.

No other suspects were found.

Labels: business robbery, CA

Armed Homeowner Scares off Burglar

A gun-wielding Saugus homeowner scared off a daytime burglar Wednesday afternoon.

No one was hurt and nothing was stolen, said Lt. Tom Bryski of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station.

About 1:25 p.m., a lone male was reportedly spotted trying to break into the rear of a house in the 20000 block of Canterwood Drive.

"The person inside the house saw him trying to get in so he pulled out a gun," Bryski said. "The burglar saw the homeowner then took off."

Sheriff's deputies detained a man suspected in the crime. Charges have not yet been filed.

Labels: CA, home invasion

Manhunt Underway For Home Invasion Suspect

A manhunt is underway in the Florin Road area of Sacramento for a suspect following a viiolent [sic] home invasion.

Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies say a suspect broke into a home on Florin Road and the homeowner fired several shots at the man.

The suspect then took off on foot.

Deputies are going door to door looking for the suspect in the area around Florin Road between Watt and Florin Perkins.

They have even brought out dogs to search the area.

It's unclear if the suspect was hit by the gunfire.

Apparently the homeowner was not injured.

Homeowner shoots at man during attempted break-in

An alleged burglar left a critical piece of evidence behind when he attempted to break in to a south Sacramento home early Wednesday morning: his car.

James Villapando, 34, of Sacramento, parked his Toyota sedan in the driveway of a home on Florin Road, just west of south Watt Avenue, before allegedly attempting to enter the home through a window around 3:35 a.m., Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran said.

The homeowner heard the man trying to get in, armed himself with a gun and fired several shots, Curran said.

Villapando was not injured and ran away from the home, leaving the car in the driveway, Curran said.

Deputies found Villapando hiding out in the area about two hours later.

Villapando, who was an at-large parolee, was arrested on suspicion of burglary and is being booked into Sacramento County Jail.

Labels: CA, intruder

Gang Member, 22, Shot During Attempted Robbery

A 22-year-old man was killed when he tried to rob a man who was armed and shot him in Boyle Heights Sunday, police said.

The shooting occurred just before 3 a.m. on Lorena Street near 6th Street, said Officer Mike Lopez of the Los Angeles Police Department's media relations section.

Fernando Sedano, described as a member of the "White Fence" gang, and a fellow gang member were driving down Lorena Street with Sedano's girlfriend and another passenger in the back seat. Police said Sedano stopped the car and, with the other gang member, apparently tried to rob a man walking down the street, police said.

The intended robbery victim pulled out a gun, and as the two struggled for the weapon, shot Sedano in the chest.

Sedano was taken to White Memorial Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Labels: CA, street robbery

Nevada County marijuana shootout leaves one dead

A homeowner apparently engaged in a gun battle with two masked men who tried to break into his marijuana garden, killing one of the alleged assailants and ending up seriously wounded himself.

Nevada County sheriff's deputies say the Saturday night shootout started when two masked men armed with assault rifles broke into Dusty Beck's home in North San Juan, just north of Nevada City.

Beck fatally shot one of the assailants with a shotgun, the sheriff's department said. Investigators did not immediately name the 31-year-old Yuba County man who died at the scene.

Beck, 43, was shot once in the leg and twice in the abdomen. A hospital spokeswoman said he was recovering after surgery at Sutter Roseville Medical Center, where he was taken by helicopter.

The second robber fled, said Nevada County Sheriff's Det. Ray Kress.

Kress and sheriff's Lt. Bill Evans said the robbers apparently wanted the nine marijuana plants they found on Beck's property. Beck has previously reported similar theft attempts, Evans said.

"A guy loses his life over nine pot plants," he said.

Lt. Joe Salivar said Beck is unlikely to face homicide charges because he was apparently defending himself during a home invasion. Narcotics officers were assisting with the investigation, but will leave it to the district attorney to decide whether Beck should face drug charges, Salivar said Monday.

Labels: CA, home invasion

Neighbors' dispute ends in death

Three woman stood Wednesday alongside a narrow road praying the rosary in Spanish, their eyes fixed on the large blood stain on the asphalt.

When they were finished, they splashed holy water from a gallon plastic jug onto the spots that had trickled down the street. The death the night before of Hermilo Talamante, 34, marked the second fatal shooting in rural Val Verde in less than a week.

"It's sad, it's so sad," Prescilla de la Rosa said in Spanish, her granddaughter Jessica Garibay serving as interpreter. Talamante was the boyfriend of Garibay's mother.

Talamante and Clarence Pullum were neighbors on Arlington Street, and had been involved in a long-running dispute regarding family members, Sgt. Martin Rodriguez said.

The shooting happened about 8 p.m. Tuesday after the two were involved in a fistfight, and both went home to retrieve handguns.

Talamante was shot in the lower torso and pronounced dead a short time later at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.

Pullum, 38, was interviewed and released, and the case initially was deemed to be self-defense.

However, it is still under investigation and will be reviewed by the District Attorney's Office,

Labels: altercation, CA

Armed clerk foils would-be robber in Fullerton

Liquor store worker fires into ceiling, scaring off armed man, police say.

A liquor store clerk armed with a gun scared off a would-be robber with a warning shot into the ceiling Tuesday night, authorities said.

A man walked in to Crown Empire Liquor at 2631 W. Orangethorpe Ave. about 9:30 p.m., pulled out a gun, and tried to hold up the clerk, said Fullerton police Lt. Doug Cave. But the clerk pulled out his gun and fired a single shot into the store's ceiling, Cave said.

"That caused him to rethink what he was doing, and he left," Cave said.

No one was injured during the robbery.

Police are looking for the would-be robber, who is described as in his 20s with a shaved head.

Labels: business robbery, CA

Shootout in garage

Roger Gilchrist woke from a dead sleep when he heard his pregnant wife screaming for her life, as she honked her car horn incessantly in their garage.

He grabbed his gun.

It wasn’t 20 seconds after his wife pulled in and saw a masked gunman standing near her vehicle that gunfire erupted at point-blank range, the couple said.

“Under the circumstances, with him having a gun and standing next to my pregnant wife, I’m not going to wait and see what happens — I’m going to fire,” Gilchrist said.

Officials said the crook shot first, and Gilchrist returned fire. About 10 rounds were let off in the confines of the garage, officials said.

“I hit him once, and then I heard the click, click, click, and I knew he was out of ammunition,” Gilchrist said.

His wife, who asked not to be identified by first name, said those “clicks” were aimed at her head from about three feet away.

“I told him I was pregnant and not to hurt me, and he said he wasn’t going to. But when he got shot, there is no doubt in my mind that he decided he was going to kill me — only he was out of bullets,” she said.

Authorities said that around 12:30 a.m. Sunday they responded to a call of shots heard in the 12400 block of Blazing Star Way.

When they arrived they saw a garage door lying in the street behind a car with shot out windows and a trail of blood.

Apparently, Gilchrist was screaming at the intruder — later identified as Timothy Finney, 35, of Rialto — to get out of the house, but Finney responded that he couldn’t, said Deputy Bob Thacker of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Victorville station.

Gilchrist’s wife then put her car in reverse and slammed through the garage door, allowing Finney to run out, and escape in a white PT Cruiser, officials said.

It all happened in less than a few minutes, but now the events of those few minutes will stay with the family for the rest of their lives.

“It’s such a violation, it’s really indescribable,” the female victim said. “Reality still hasn’t set in, I still haven’t cried, I’m still in shock.”

...


Deputy District Attorney Britt Imes on Tuesday said ... that no charges are to be filed against Gilchrist for the shooting.

(More)

Labels: CA, home invasion

Hayward teen won't be charged in shooting

Jonathan Paniagua, a 19-year-old Hayward resident who shot a 12-year-old Oakland boy in the chest Friday, was acting in self-defense and will not be charged in the shooting, according to authorities.

Paniagua is still in custody at Santa Rita county jail in Dublin while the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency reviews his immigration status, Alameda County sheriff's Sgt. J.D. Nelson said.

The 12-year-old remains hospitalized at Children's Hospital Oakland and is in serious, but stable condition, Hayward police Lt. Reid Lindblom said.

"We have determined that there is insufficient evidence to prove that there was an unlawful shooting," Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Richard Klemmersaid. "I cannot disprove Paniagua's assertion that he was acting in self-defense. Most of the witness statements corroborate his version of events."

According to Lindblom, Paniagua pulled his red Cadillac up to the curb in front of the Casa Azul Taqueria on Harder Road on Friday evening.

The 12-year-old boy, accompanied by a 19-year-old friend, then approached the vehicle. Lindblom did not release the names of the boy or his friend.

"The 12-year-old allegedly simulated having a weapon and said he wanted the car," Lindblom said.

Paniagua pulled out a handgun, shot the boy and drove off, he said. The shooting occurred at about 5:45 p.m.

Police stopped Paniagua's Cadillac at Jackson Street and Soto Road about 10 minutes later. Paniagua was arrested without incident.

A handgun found inside the vehicle was confiscated, Lindblom said.

Paniagua was scheduled to be arraigned on Monday on charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a loaded and concealed firearm.

Klemmer said, however, no charges are expected to be filed in the case.

Lindblom said Paniagua claimed that the 12-year-old boy had attempted to rob Paniagua of his wallet several weeks ago and that Paniagua had armed himself in response.

Labels: CA, carjacking

Dog Attacks Man on Street, Neighbor Shoots Dog Dead

A dog attack leads to gunfire in a Southland neighborhood. A man shoots a dog when it goes after his elderly neighbor. The dog owner says he overreacted and put her child in danger.

The dog's owner says she feels terrible about what happened to the 80-year-old victim but says the armed neighbor who shot and killed her dog went too far.

The attack sent an 80-year-old man to the hospital with dog bites and left the dog dead.

"The dog was on the ground. There was no more danger, and the guy came out of his house with a gun and right behind my back, at close range, shot and killed the dog as my daughter was reaching for him," said Robin Lifland, the dog's owner.

Police say the large mixed-breed dog named "Timmy" attacked 80-year-old Walt Kelly as he was walking in front of his home around 6. Robin Lifland says she was getting the mail when Timmy ran out of the house and apparently went after Kelly.

"He kept flailing his arms and hitting the dog and the dog got scared," said Lifland. "And he sort of ripped out a piece of his shirt."

Police say Kelly's neighbor heard the commotion and rushed outside to find the 80-year-old fighting off the canine.

"He went inside and retrieved a pistol and while the dog was still attacking the neighbor, he fired one gunshot wound to the dog, and then the dog apparently disengaged from the neighbor," said Sergeant Dennis Smith, Claremont Police Dept.

Investigators say Kelly suffered three puncture wounds to his chest, side and stomach. The dog later died at the animal hospital.

Police say the gun used in the shooting is registered and say it is now in police custody as the investigation continues.

It will be up to the district attorney to decide if the neighbor who shot and killed the dog may face any charges, and it will be up to the Humane Society to determine if Timmy's owner may face charges.

As for the victim, his injuries are said to be not life-threatening and he's expected to make a full recovery.

Labels: animal, CA

Pot grower takes shot at possible intruder

An Olivehurst man said he was defending his medical marijuana garden when he fired his shotgun in the middle of the night at an apparent intruder, according to the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies responded about 3:30 a.m. Thursday to a reported shot fired from a residence in the 1600 block of Broadway Road and contacted the owner, a man in his mid-40s who was not identified because the incident is still under investigation, said Sgt. Stephanie Murray.

The owner said he thought he saw a gun barrel poking through a backyard fence near his marijuana garden and heard a clicking noise as if the gun were being cocked, said Murray.

The man fired one time, hitting the fence. Deputies found shotgun pellets in the fence but no sign that anyone had been hit, she said.

“He said he was defending his property,” Murray said about the shooter, who was not arrested. He had a doctor’s prescription for the marijuana, she said.

Labels: CA, intruder

Retired Officer Shoots Man Who Tried To Rob Him

A retired police officer carrying a handgun shot and wounded an armed man who apparently attempted to rob him in a residential North County neighborhood Wednesday, authorities said.

Responding to a report of a gunshot victim, officers found a wounded man in the parking lot of a Circle K convenience store in the 1000 block of West El Norte Parkway about 1:50 a.m., according to the Escondido Police Department.

About the same time, another man reported that he had just shot a man who tried to hold him up at gunpoint near Country Club Lane and Capistrano Glen -- less than two miles from where the shooting victim was found, Lt. Bob Benton said.

The description of the would-be robber matched that of the man found wounded in the parking lot, Benton said.

Investigators found that after getting shot, the injured man ran toward El Norte Parkway and into a nearby complex, where he asked a resident to call for help, Benton said.

The gunshot victim was taken to Palomar Medical Center, Benton said. His condition was not reported.

The retired police officer was not hurt.

Labels: CA, street robbery

Hawthorne worker shoots at fleeing robbers

Three armed robbers held up two employees Tuesday at a credit counseling office in Hawthorne and were shot at by one of them as they fled, according to police.

The robbers entered Credit Investigations USA in the 12900block of Hawthorne Boulevard around 12:20 p.m., according to Lt. Michael Ishii.

They used one of their handguns to pistol-whip a male employee in the back of the head, Ishii said. He was "dazed" but did not need further medical attention, Ishii added.

About $100 was taken from the business, and a female employee was robbed of her purse, cash and jewelry, Ishii said.

The three got away in a gray, late-model Chevrolet Blazer - but not before the male employee shot at them.

It is not known if any of the robbers were hit.

Police were still investigating and did not have anyone in custody by Tuesday evening, Ishii said.

Labels: business robbery, CA

Store Guard Shoots, Kills Teen Robber

A teen robber was shot and killed by a grocery store security guard after an attempted robbery turned into a gunfight Saturday, Stockton police said.

The 19-year-old gunman was pronounced dead just outside the Super Mercado La Amapola, 1901 S. El Dorado Street in Stockton around 7:45 p.m. Saturday, Stockton police Sgt. Ken Praegitzer said. Investigators determined the teen allegedly entered the store, pulled a loaded handgun on employees and attempted to rob the store, Praegitzer said.

An armed security guard working in the store confronted the robber, triggering an exchange of gunfire. The teen suffered multiple gunshot wounds. The guard was not injured.

Praegitzer said investigators would forward their findings to the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office to review whether the guard acted appropriately.

Labels: business robbery, CA

Clovis Police Are Looking into Whether a Would-Be Burglar Was Stopped by a Bullet

Police say a tenant at the Villa Park apartments at Peach and Santa Ana fired a gun shot when someone tried to break into his home.

Moments later the suspect ran away but it's not known if the suspect was hit.

Police have not identified the suspect or the resident.

Labels: CA, residence burglary

A robber shot by a guard during a heist attempt at a San Pablo grocery store on August 10 remains on the lam, police said Thursday.

Detectives suspect that he and his compatriots may have robbed other Food Maxx stores in the East Bay this summer. They do not know whether he died, sought medical help outside the region or simply spent his week hiding and suffering.

Police ask anyone who knows where he went to call, both for his sake and theirs.

"It was a point-blank shot. It struck him in the shoulder," San Pablo Police Detective David Hoff said. "I'm sure it was extremely painful."

The unidentified man and another suspect, 41-year-old Oakland resident James Jones, walked into the San Pablo Avenue Food Maxx about 8 p.m. last Friday wearing sunglasses and caps, police said.

Surveillance camera footage shows they spent 12 to 15 minutes "shopping" before the unidentified suspect grabbed a bag of snack food and headed for a register, with Jones close behind him.

They apparently did not know that loss-prevention workers had spotted them the moment they walked through the door, Hoff said. Moments after the man leaned over the counter and grabbed a wad of cash from the register's till, the store called police, and its private security guards closed in.

...

A guard with his gun drawn met the two men as they exited into the parking lot and grabbed the man with the cash by the shoulder, Hoff said.

In response, the robber reached into his waistband. The guard saw he was about to pull out a handgun, and fired twice. One of the rounds definitely hit the robber, who threw down his weapon and cash and jumped into a waiting, dark-colored Honda or Toyota, Hoff said.

Police arrived soon after and arrested Jones, whom store security detained. The weapon thrown down by the missing robber turned out to be a realistic-looking pellet gun.

Labels: business robbery, CA

Store employee shot in leg while chasing robbers

An employee of an Arden-area market was shot in the leg Thursday morning while chasing three men who had just robbed his store at gunpoint, the Sheriff's Department reported.

The three suspects -- last seen in dark clothing and black knit masks -- escaped with cash, and they remained at large in the early afternoon, said Sgt. Tim Curran, sheriff's spokesman.

The status of the wounded employee was not immediately known, but Curran said he was expected to survive. He was described as a 39-year-old relative of the family that owns Toledo's Mexican Market in the 1300 block of Fulton Avenue.

No one answered the phone at the store on Thursday afternoon.

Shortly before 8:30 a.m. the store was robbed, but the crime was not reported to authorities, Curran said. In fact, deputies were first alerted to trouble minutes later when residents at a nearby apartment complex on Wittkop Way reported hearing gunshots.

Curran said a gun battle had ensued at the complex between the robbers and at least two store employees, who had armed themselves with a shotgun and a handgun.

Curran said he did not know if the two groups were wildly shooting through the area or if the exchange took place as the robbers were getting into a car, but it was during that time when the store employee was shot.

Robbery And Shootout At Local Store

Witnesses say it was something out of the Wild West, after a gun battle erupted in a Sacramento apartment complex.

"Six or seven shots and then it was followed by a very, very, loud bang," said Kurt Richter who lives at the Bella Vita Apartments. Sheriff's deputies scoured the complex, trying to piece together an incident that had tenants ducking for cover.

"I'm not going to take a stray bullet in the face," said Richter.

It all started next door, where three armed robbers entered Toledo's Mexican Market on Fulton Avenue.

"It was a take over robbery they held them at gunpoint while they forced one of the employees to get the money," said Sgt. Tim Curran of the Sacramento Sheriff's Department. The three robbers ran out of the back of the store, and crawled through a hole in a fence leading to the apartment complex where a get away car was waiting.

What they didn't know, the store owner and an employee were hot on their heels. The owner had a handgun and a shotgun. A running gun-battle with the suspects took place around the apartments. Shell casings marked the gunmen's path. They got away in a silver four door sedan, but not before leaving some of their loot behind.

Store owner Jaime Toledo showed detectives how the suspects shot at him. The worker who was with him was hit by a bullet. "He was shot through the leg. He's ok, he's at the hospital already," said Toledo.

Toledo been at this location for seven years, but it's the first time he's been robbed. He says he wasn't scared, but then again he admits there wasn't time to think. "I don't know, when that thing happened, nobody was thinking," said Toledo.

Cops prefer victims to be good witnesses, and not take matters into their own hands. But Jaime doesn't regret his actions.

Labels: business robbery, CA, defender shot

Alleged robber shot down

Man dies at Percy Avenue Market in YC

A man died Friday night after allegedly robbing a Yuba City grocery store and trying to flee.

Police responded to the Percy Avenue Market at around 8:30 p.m. after they received reports of a man who had been shot.

Deputy Police Chief Rob Landon said the suspect robbed the market, but never left the premises.

“He made it to the other side of the parking lot and expired,” Landon said.

Landon did not release the identity of the shooter, but friends of the store clerk said weapons are kept in the store.

The deputy police chief would not say whether a store clerk shot the alleged robber nor confirm that the deceased died of gunshot wounds.
...

Police are still investigating the incident.

Robbery Suspect Shot & Killed By Store Owner

A deadly shooting is being called self-defense, after a convenience store clerk in Yuba City took matters into her own hands during a robbery.

"We heard a couple gunshots and saw a bunch of people running," said Matt Lewis, who witnessed the incident. In normally quiet Yuba City, hearing gunshots will send people running, and it did on Friday night at the Percy Avenue Market.

About 8:15 p.m., a white man in his thirties wearing a dark jacket walked into the empty store. He demanded money at gunpoint. The female clerk, also one of the market's owners, gave him all she had, which was less than one hundred dollars. "He demanded more cash, and as he demanded more that's when the clerk pulled out a gun and shot the suspect," said Sergeant Kim Slade of the Yuba Police Department.

Shot in the chest, the man stumbled into the parking lot and died. Police found his gun and the money he had stolen in his coat.

"It was horrible, especially in your neighborhood. I mean, that's my house right there and this is my store," said Lewis.

Back at work on Saturday, but much too shaken to speak on camera, the woman and her husband say this is the worst experience in their 24 years of operation. It's not the first time the store has been robbed. Back in 1992, a man came in, demanded money and got into a scuffle with the owner. He ended up getting shot in the stomach and the suspect got away. The couple says they've learned a lot about self-defense since then.

The suspect is from the area but his identity has not been released. Police are investigating, but say the shooting looks to be self-defense. "We try and advise people not to take the law into their own hands. We look at each case differently, but it's kind of a spur of the moment thing, how one feels," said Slade.

Owner will not be charged

A Yuba City market owner who shot and killed an armed robber will not be charged with a crime, Sutter County District Attorney Carl Adams said today.

Adams said the woman, who co-owns the Percy Avenue Market, acted in self-defense when she pulled a .38 caliber revolver from a drawer the night of Aug. 10 and shot Billy Lloyd Saling at point blank range.

Adams did not name the woman in a press release but confirmed she is Suad Hamdan, wife of co-owner Chris Hamdan. She earlier declined comment.

Saling had a loaded .22 caliber revolver in his hand when Hamdan fired one time, hitting him in the upper left chest. She fired a second time as he ran out the door but missed and hit a wall, said Adams.

Saling collapsed and died in a parking lot five to eight seconds after being hit, the district attorney said.

“It’s pretty clear she was convinced he would shoot her,” said Adams. “It’s clear she thought her life was at risk

Labels: business robbery, CA

Man holds fleeing burglary suspect at gunpoint

A man held a 17-year-old suspected burglar at gunpoint Friday morning while his wife called 911, police said.

The incident began when two juveniles tried to break into a home in the 1300 block of Dixon Court around 3 a.m. Friday, said Tracy city spokesman Matt Robinson. The home’s burglar alarm, however, scared the teens off. They ran down the street and hopped a fence into the backyard of a home in the 1200 block of Berg Road.

The juveniles didn’t get very far when a resident at that home stepped into his backyard and trained a shotgun on them. One suspect fled back over the fence. The other remained there until police came, Robinson said.

Police arrested a 17-year-old boy from Tracy and turned him over to his parents. The case will be sent to juvenile prosecutors for investigation and possible charges. Police are still searching for the other suspect, Robinson said.

“We do commend the homeowner for holding onto the subject and protecting his property, but we do want to warn residents it can be very dangerous and they have to be very careful,” Robinson said.

Labels: CA, fugitive

Two die in gun battle outside Rialto club

Two people were killed and a third was critically wounded after an early morning gunbattle Sunday outside a Rialto nightclub, police said.

About 1:45 a.m., a crowd had gathered outside the El Patio Nightclub at 333 E. Foothill Blvd. when a confrontation broke out and a man pulled a handgun and opened fire, police said.

The man fatally shot Adrian Alvarado, 17, of Rialto, in the head and wounded Eduardo Marin, 25, in the torso before the club's armed security fatally shot the gunman, Rialto police Sgt. Tim Lane said Sunday.

Alvarado and Marin had been standing in the parking lot when they were hit by gunfire, police said. The club's private security then confronted the gunman, whose identity has not been released, and exchanged gunshots, police said.

The gunman at the scene and the private security guard, whose name was not released, was not injured, police said.
Alvarado and the suspect died at the scene, while Marin was taken to a local hospital where he was in critical condition on Sunday, Lane said.

Police interviewed and released the private security guard, and authorities will forward the case to the San Bernardino County district attorney's office for review, police said.

Labels: altercation, assault, CA, minor offender

Couple kill man while defending neighbor, police say

Neighbors shot and killed a man violating a restraining order yesterday after his ex-girlfriend found him inside her University City apartment, police said.

William and Nicole Porter, both 22, were each booked on one count of murder, San Diego police Capt. Mary Cornicelli said yesterday.

The county Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as Larry Kermit King, 47.

Investigators said they believe the husband and wife each shot King.

The woman found King sleeping inside her apartment – at the Archstone University Towne Centre Apartments on Avenida Navidad near Genesee Avenue – about 1 a.m. when she returned home from work, Cornicelli said.

Police are still trying to determine how he got into the apartment. A restraining order prohibiting King from getting near the woman had been issued Feb. 26 in response to allegations of domestic violence.

The woman woke him up, and the two argued, Cornicelli said. The woman left her first-floor unit and went to the Porters' upstairs apartment to get help.

Minutes later, King pounded on the Porters' door.

“He was yelling . . . 'Come on out. I'm going to kill you,' ” Cornicelli said.

King left after no one answered. Cornicelli said William and Nicole Porter then armed themselves with handguns.

“Then Mr. Porter, obviously feeling threatened for himself, his wife and the other woman, decides to go outside and attempt to hold the suspect for police,” Cornicelli said. Nicole Porter stayed on her balcony.

The two men argued and then fought in a grassy area just outside the apartment. King was shot.

“We believe, at the same time, Mrs. Porter fired from the balcony,” Cornicelli said.

Cornicelli wouldn't say whether King was armed.

“All I can tell you is the deceased did not show or display any weapons,” Cornicelli said.

Paramedics were unable to resuscitate King, who stumbled into the woman's apartment after being shot.

Police recovered a handgun from William Porter and another that they said they believe Nicole Porter used. They had not determined how many times King was shot.

“The case is still pretty active,” Cornicelli said yesterday afternoon. “We've got a guy out there right now still working the scene. We'll get it all together in the next couple days.”

Police have two days to present the case to prosecutors, who will decide whether to charge or release the Porters.

Labels: CA, domestic dispute

Pit bull killed by Wine Country resident

The task should have been prosaic for Frank Canson: Walk down the sloping driveway, open the 42-inch-high gate and grab the Sunday newspaper.

Instead, a ferocious pit bull that neighbors say has wrought havoc in this community of estate homes lurked at the gate, Canson said.

He soon shot it dead.

As Canson approached the gate Sunday morning, the 40- to 45-pound pit bull jumped up against it, snarling at him, the former San Diego police officer said, but the animal didn't get over the gate onto his side.

Canson, 59, said he slowly backed up the driveway before reaching his house, where he got his 9mm semiautomatic handgun. He returned to the gate, this time with the gun, but the pit bull ---- and two accompanying dogs ---- had vanished.

Or so Canson thought.

He opened the gate, only to find the newspaper shredded, its pieces strewn across Meng Asbury Road, he said. He knelt on the dirt road, placed the gun down and began picking up the pieces ---- when the pit bull and its companions returned.

Canson said the pit bull was within 20 feet of him when he began firing his weapon. The second or third bullet, Canson believes, struck the dog, who was maimed and struggling.

"It yelped, and I could see it limping," he said.

The pit bull limped to his neighbor's property, where Canson shot it dead.

"It was down, and obviously suffering. It was the appropriate thing to do," said Canson, who, along with his wife, has four dogs.

Remarkably, the owner of that adjacent property ---- Ralph Fonseca, 48 ---- said he slept through the presumably earsplitting incident, in which Canson said he fired 15 rounds.

Sheriff's deputies responded and decided not to cite Canson, said Investigator Jerry Franchville.

"You can't just (shoot a dog) for sport," Franchville said. "But if you feel like you're in danger, you have to defend yourself."

The dog's owner couldn't be reached for comment Monday.

Residents said Canson's encounter was the latest in a string of incidents involving the dogs along Meng Asbury and Monte de Oro.

Sunday wasn't the first time county officials had visited the neighborhood.

Fonseca's 19-year-old daughter, Vanessa, had tried to calm the pit bull when it approached her and her friend recently, but it only got more vicious, she said.

Canson's wife, Kelli, had complained to county Animal Control in the weeks before Sunday's incident, alleging the pit bull and friends had threatened her.

"It's been weeks that we've been menaced," she said. "We felt imprisoned on our property."

A neighbor warned Animal Control he and others would arm themselves if the dog returned, Kelli Canson said.

The department fielded three phone calls before Sunday, said Rita Gutierrez, Animal Control's field services commander.

An investigator for the department believes the owners of the dogs were abiding by her instruction to secure them on the property, Gutierrez said. The investigator asked that the dogs be tied up, she added.

Yet, observers Monday afternoon saw the two remaining dogs roaming the streets, lurking near the Cansons' and Fonsecas' properties.

"They gotta do something, get them tied up," Ralph Fonseca said.