Southern California police officials announced Tuesday that a homeowner shot a suspected intruder during a “targeted” home invasion. Police said another suspect was found dead at the scene with a “self-inflicted gunshot.”
In a video message released on Tuesday, Newport Beach Police Chief Joe Cartwright said police officers responded to a call for a “possible home invasion” at a home located on Newport Coast Drive and Pelican Hill Road North at roughly 4:45 a.m. Cartwright added that the person reporting the incident said one of the suspects had been shot by a resident of the home when the two suspects entered the house.
Cartwright noted that the injured suspect and an additional suspect quickly fled the house after being confronted by the homeowner. The police chief said the responding police officers found the injured male suspect lying in the street with “apparent gunshot wounds” and armed with a handgun.
The injured home intruder suspect was transported to a local hospital, where Cartwright said the male suspect was receiving medical treatment. Cartwright did not disclose what condition the suspect was in or what injuries he had sustained in the alleged home invasion attempt.
In addition to the injured suspect, police officers found a second suspect in the bushes near the victim’s home. “He was found with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased at the scene,” Cartwright said.
READ MORE: Texas homeowner kills suspected burglar in deadly shootout
In Tuesday’s video message, Cartwright said the crime scene was “immediately contained” and that all of the home invasion suspects were accounted for. He added that the four residents who were in the home at the time of the “home invasion” incident were “safe and uninjured.”
“Our investigation indicates that this was not a random crime, but actually a targeted incident involving a prior connection between the suspects and the victims, so there are no threats to the Newport Beach community,” Cartwright said.
After the police chief finished informing the community about the alleged home invasion incident, Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill warned potential criminals, “If you are thinking about coming into our city to commit crime, know that we will defend ourselves.”
