On Dec. 2, a Los Angeles homeowner fought off several armed intruders with his handgun, possibly saving his own life and the lives of his grandmother and young son who were also in the home at the time.
At about 5 a.m., four men, at least one of them armed, entered the home in what police called a “home invasion robbery.” According to police reports, the homeowner armed himself with a handgun and confronted the masked intruders. When one intruder pointed a weapon at the homeowner, he shot the man, who died at the scene.
While shaken by the incident, the homeowner, grandmother, and toddler were not hurt. The deceased intruder was later identified as a 20-year-old man.
Melissa Ohana, public information representative for the Los Angeles Police Department, told America’s 1st Freedom that as of Dec. 5, no charges had been filed against the homeowner.
“That will all be part of the investigation, which is being handled by Valley Bureau homicide,” Ohana said.
Neighbors told local media that the area where the homeowner defended his family is becoming increasingly dangerous, with robberies and burglaries occurring nearly every day. Police said they believe the home intruders, who this time met armed resistance, were connected to other home invasions in the area.
While the homeowner is obviously a hero to the family members he protected, a Fox News photo showed the armed citizen being taken away in handcuffs. When asked whether that was normal in a self-defense situation, Ohana could offer no further information.
“There's really no standard procedure,” she said. “Every incident is different. So, officers will obviously have to follow up on their investigation before they can determine if there will be any charges.”
In a similar self-defense incident in Los Angeles just a month earlier, a concealed-carry permit holder used his firearm to fend off two armed robbers who jumped him from behind on his doorstep and tried to force their way into his home. The homeowner, Vince Ricci, also likely saved his family, as his wife, young child, and their nanny were all inside at the time.
A short time later, California suspended Ricci’s carry permit, which had taken him months to get because of all the hoops the state requires a citizen to go through in order to obtain a permit.
“After successfully defending my home and my family and my five-month-old child, California has now decided to suspend my Second Amendment [rights],” Ricci later said in an NRA video. “My situation is unique because it happened at my front door, all on camera. But this happens time and time again all over the country. The fact is evil will always exist.”
Following suspension of Ricci’s permit, National Rifle Association Spokesperson William McLaughlin called the move “reprehensible.”
“His decisive actions to protect his wife and daughter embody the core principles that NRA members fight for every day,” McLaughlin said. “The NRA stands with Vince and every responsible gun owner in California, firmly committed to defending their rights to protect their families and communities.”
