Two men broke into a southern California home early Tuesday and placed a gun to the homeowner’s head. Her son made a quick decision— which left one intruder dead and one in critical condition.
Jane Watrel, a sheriff’s office spokesperson, told WFTV-9 that the two men broke into the woman’s home just before 11 a.m., and “[o]ne of them held a gun to her head and made demands.” Watrel said the homeowner’s son then escaped to a bedroom to retrieve a gun, which he used to shoot both intruders in self-defense.
Detectives said 24-year-old Racheed Briggs was found lying in the front yard, fatally shot, while the other intruder made it to a nearby hospital where he remains in critical condition. Investigators have not determined if the suspects and victims knew each other. Terrified neighbors told reporters the invasion made no sense. “I’m shocked at what’s going on because (these) people don’t bother nobody,” said neighbor Victoria Escontris.