A Vietnam War veteran managed to fend off a deranged, naked intruder who broke into a woman’s California home on Friday morning.
The elderly vet was thrown to the ground by the maniac, fracturing both of his legs before he opened fire and fatally shot the intruder.
The terrifying incident unfolded in Studio City just after 7am on Tujunga Avenue, a quiet residential stretch near the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley.
Police say the nude suspect had been wandering the neighborhood moments earlier, shouting incoherently and attempting to break into several homes.
LAPD Capt. Warner Castillo told reporters that the suspect eventually forced his way into a residence where a woman and two other people were inside, including the 79-year-old veteran, identified by neighbors only as George.
‘The 79-year-old man tells the suspect to leave, tells him I have a gun and I will shoot you. The suspect grabs the man, lifts him, throws him on the ground, and that’s where the man suffered two broken legs,’ Castillo said to Fox News.
Despite being in agony having been body slammed to the ground by the intruder, the elderly homeowner managed to grab his firearm.
‘The suspect got shot one time and the suspect still approached the 79-year-old, shot the suspect again, killing him,’ Castillo confirmed.
Police said the rambling man was shot at least two or three times inside the home before collapsing.
Surveillance footage captured a naked intruder stumbling along the street, screaming and attempting to open car doors before approaching the property and trying to break in
The man could be seen holding up a security sign as he attempted to break through a hedge
Moments before the fatal confrontation, surveillance footage captured the naked intruder stumbling along the street, screaming and attempting to open car doors before approaching the property.
Witnesses said he appeared to be in a ‘psychotic’ or ‘drug-induced’ state, banging on gates and shouting unintelligibly.
Police arrived minutes later to find the suspect dead and the veteran critically injured.
‘I looked over, and the naked guy was on the ground, and the older guy was on the ground, and he shot him two more times,’ a neighbor told ABC News.
George was rushed to a local hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery for two broken legs.
‘Hopefully he makes it out of here without being in a wheelchair for the rest of his life,’ Capt. Castillo told reporters, adding that the homeowner’s condition was stable following the operation.
The incident has shaken the typically peaceful Studio City community, where neighbors awoke to the sound of gunfire and police sirens.
‘I think it’s a textbook example of self-defense, and I really, really hope he does not face charges,’ neighbor Betsy Weiss told CBS News.
LAPD Capt. Warner Castillo told reporters that the suspect eventually forced his way into a residence where a woman and two other people were inside, including the veteran, 79
Some of the occupants of the home are believed to have been in wheelchairs
The incident has shaken the typically peaceful Studio City community, where neighbors awoke to the sound of gunfire and police sirens
The man could be seen pacing outside the home before breaking in through the fence
A screen can be seen erected in the driveway of the home following the shooting
The man’s body was taken away by the medical examiner following the shooting
Another resident told reporters that the same naked man had been seen earlier trying to break into nearby homes, terrifying locals before finally forcing his way into the veteran’s residence.
Police said they later discovered a Toyota Prius parked around the corner with the door open and a pile of clothes nearby, believed to belong to the attacker. The vehicle has been impounded as evidence.
Police said the case will be presented to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman, who will decide whether any charges will be filed.
