California dad shot dead after he and neighbors confront suspect seen breaking into cars

close

Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for December 23

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

A father of three was shot dead in California just days before Christmas after he and a group of neighbors confronted a man who they saw breaking into cars in their neighborhood.

Joey Casias, 38, was trying to break up a fight Tuesday night between some of his neighbors who confronted the suspect, his mother, Lydia Casias, told FOX11 Los Angeles.

OAKLAND POLICE ARREST TWO SUSPECTS, SEEKING THIRD IN KILLING OF RETIRED OFFICER GUARDING NEWS CREW

But the suspect drew a handgun and shot Casias. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said Joey Casias was shot dead in the 1800 block of East Covina Blvd. in Covina, a city about 22 miles east of Los Angeles, on Tuesday night. (FOX11 KTTV)

"My granddaughter, when we put her to bed, she said, ‘Please don’t tell me that my daddy is not going to be here for Christmas,’" Lydia Casias told the station. "And that broke my heart."

Police said the shooting happened around 11 p.m. in the 1800 block of East Covina Blvd. in Covina, a city about 22 miles east of Los Angeles. The suspect fled the scene and set off a police search.

Police said officers were responding to a robbery in progress call when they arrived to find Casias dead. (FOX11 KTTV)

On Wednesday, officers acted on a tip and located a man, identified as 34-year-old Trevor Thompson, who was wanted in connection to the shooting, police said in a statement. Thompson was found at an apartment complex in Covina, where he barricaded himself inside the indoor patio.

Trevor Thompson, who is believed to be involved in the fatal shooting of Joey Casias, was taken into custody Wednesday night after an hours-long standoff with police, authorities said. (Covina Police Department )

During a nearly four-hour standoff, Thompson fired one round and tried to run away from officers while brandishing a handgun, police said. An officer fired a nonlethal round and took Thompson into custody.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Lydia Casias described her son as "wonderful," saying that he took care of her after her husband died 18 years ago. She said that she’s "seen these reports many times on the news," and they’ve always broken her heart.

"And now I’m broke," she told the station.

A GoFundMe page set up for Casias’ family described him as the type of man "that this world needs more of."