It was a home off a quiet cul-de-sac. It was 2 a.m. on a Tuesday morning. And police believe two home intruders thought it was the perfect target.
The two gun-wielding men entered the Lemon Grove residence and encountered Francisco Suarez Sr., the 44-year-old homeowner, and his 22-year-old son, Francisco Jr. After the intruders held both at gunpoint for several minutes, there was a sudden struggle over a gun and Francisco Jr. was shot in the torso. The homeowner then grabbed his own gun and returned fire, hitting one of the intruders and sending the second man running.
When deputies arrived, they found the son on the lawn and the homeowner in the house with the intruder, who had succumbed to his gunshot wound. Police searched the neighborhood for the escaped accomplice, but have yet to find him. EMTs took Francisco Jr. to a hospital for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Francisco Sr. was not injured in the fracas.