A woman told deputies she was asleep in her Lucerne Valley, California, home overnight Tuesday when she her dog started barking, which woke her up, KTVU-TV reported.
She entered a bedroom where she saw a man hiding, after which she told San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies she became frightened and yelled at the man that he didn’t belong inside her home, the station said.
The homeowner then went to her living room and armed herself with a gun, deputies told KTVU.
Fearing for her safety
Authorities said the intruder approached her, and — fearing for her safety — she fired once and hit the suspect, the station reported.
Deputies responded to the residence just before 12:30 a.m. and found the shot suspect, later identified as 32-year-old Shea Manigult, KTVU said. Deputies and emergency medical personnel tried life-saving measures, but the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, the station reported.
Detectives determined that Manigult had forced entry into the home prior to the victim finding him in the bedroom, KTVU said.
The victim has not been arrested, the station said, adding that the case will be given to the District Attorney’s Office for review.
*story by The Blaze