Bay Area homeowner shoots and kills armed intruder who kicked down his front door while he and wife were eating breakfast
- The shooting occurred at around 8.30am Tuesday in Fairfield, California
- The homeowner, who was not named, told police he shot a man who broke into his home and then fled
- He said he retrieved his legally-owned firearm because he feared for the safety of himself and his wife
- The intruder - a 27-year-old from Suisun City whose name was not released, was pronounced dead just after 9am
- Police said he was on parole for a previous home invasion
- The homeowner was not arrested and it is unclear if he will face charges
- He will likely be protected by California's 'Castle Doctrine', which allows people to act in self-defense if an intruder enters their property and poses a threat
A homeowner in California's Bay Area shot and killed an armed intruder who he claimed kicked down his front door while he and his wife were eating breakfast.
The Fairfield Police Department received a 911 call about the shooting at around 8.30am Tuesday.
The homeowner told police he and his wife - who are both in their 60s but have not been named - heard a knock on the door before the intruder proceeded to kick it down.
He said he feared for the safety of his wife and himself and ran to retrieve the legally-owned gun he used to shoot the man two times before he scrambled into the street.
The homeowner was not arrested after the incident and will likely not face charges due to a California law that allows people to act in self-defense if an intruder comes on their property and poses a threat of danger.
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A homeowner in the Bay Area of California shot and killed an intruder who broke into his home while he was having breakfast with his wife (home pictured)
ABC10 reported that couple didn't answer the knock on the door because they checked their doorbell camera and didn't recognize the man.
'The suspect actively started kicking the door and he did kick the door off the hinges and then started to make entry into the home,' Lt. Jausiah Jacobsen told ABC10.
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When police arrived, they checked the welfare of the married couple who lived at the residence.
Police then came across the intruder, who was across the street, and detained him. They discovered the intruder was in possession of a loaded semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine.
The homeowner told police that a person broke into his home and that he had shot the intruder, leading the intruder to flee from the home
The couple looked at their doorbell camera at the stranger and didn't recognize him, leading them to not answer the door
Because the intruder had been shot, officers started lifesaving measures while waiting for Fairfield Fire to arrive on scene.
Ultimately, the intruder was pronounced dead just after 9am. The 27-year-old male from Suisun City has not been identified by name, but he was on parole for another home invasion.
It's not clear if the home was targeted or if the attempted home invasion location was random - the homeowners were not associated with the intruder, according to police.
The Fairfield Police Department’s Investigation’s Bureau is now leading the investigation.
'I'd like to emphasize that we're still going through this, and I know that there's information that's been released that we would like to make sure that we do our due diligence and make sure these facts are all substantiated,' Jacobsen said of the investigation.
'The suspect actively started kicking the door and he did kick the door off the hinges and then started to make entry into the home,' Lt. Jausiah Jacobsen said
A victim advocate from the police department is on hand to assist the married couple as needed.
'I’m kind of blown away,' neighbor Nathan Biggs said to FOX40. 'I've lived here all my life, 18 years. Probably the most eventful thing that’s happened in this neighborhood.'
Cordelia resident Tamer Totah revealed more about the couple to FOX40 after the incident.
'They’re a wonderful family. And they’re well-liked in the community. And I’m just really grateful that nothing more serious might have happened to them,' Totah said.
After two similar home invasions in Modesto - about an hour and a half away - police are also looking for potential connections.
'And the biggest thing that we're happy about is that the homeowners and the residents are safe, but, definitely...the detectives need to reach out to the other agencies and find out, is there some type of nexus or not?' Jacobsen said.
'Are they connected, or they just, unfortunately, have to be coincidence?'
It was not immediately clear if the homeowner will be charged, but he was not arrested after the incident.
Additionally, he is likely protected by the 'Castle Doctrine,' a law on the books in California for almost 150 years.
The law allows people in the state to act in self-defense if an intruder comes on to their property and poses a threat of danger.
'You have a right to use as much force as you need to use to make yourself feel safe against that person,' Sacramento-area criminal defense attorney Jennifer Mouzis told KCRA.
Fairfield is approximately 40 miles from the city centers of San Francisco, Sacramento and Oakland.
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