Los Angeles homeowners association president says break-ins are happening on a 'regular basis'
Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association President Matt Epstein talks about ‘rampant’ crime in Los Angeles.
A homeowner in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley stabbed a suspect in his mid-20s who broke into his home in the middle of the night this week, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed to Fox News Digital.
After the suspect rammed his way through the front door just after 4 a.m. in the Winnetka neighborhood, he was confronted first by the homeowner’s daughter. Then he got into a fight with the homeowner, who stabbed the intruder in the stomach, police said.
The suspect, who collapsed not far from the house, was found by police soon after leaving a trail of blood from the house.
CALIFORNIA HOMEOWNER SHOOTS AT HOME INVASION SUSPECTS, INJURING 1
A homeowner in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley stabbed a suspect in his mid-20s who broke into his home in the middle of the night this week, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital. (KTTV)
The suspect, who has not yet been identified, was arrested and taken to a hospital, where he is in stable condition, police told Fox News Digital.
A neighbor told police the suspect also tried to break into her home, FOX 11 reported.
The home invasion was caught on video, and the homeowner's Ring video camera showed the suspect slamming his body against the door. Another surveillance camera captured him prowling outside.
The suspect left a trail of blood as he fled. (KTTV)
"They struggled for the door. The guy eventually broke the door open," Joseph Santos, the homeowner's son, who lives nearby, told KABC-TV. "My dad acted in self-defense. The guy jumped in the room, and they all warded him off. My sisters took a vacuum cleaner and started hitting him over the head."
Another neighbor, Tigran Sargsyan, agreed that "everybody has a right to defend himself."
The suspect broke into a home in the Winnetka neighborhood of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. (KTTV)
"The suspect was on my property, I heard, at night," he told the station. "Someone was walking on my roof. My neighbor was aware. She called me at night. My phone was on silent. I didn't hear, but she was alone. She needed help. She called me. I went out, and she was very scared."
There have been other home invasions in the area this week, including in Sherman Oaks and Canoga Park, where the residents scared a suspect away. Three suspects were arrested in the Sherman Oaks robbery.
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"We will continue our urgent work to make Los Angeles safer and combat crime throughout the city," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. "I have met with Angelenos who live in areas experiencing an uptick in burglaries and have been in close coordination with LAPD as we take steps to suppress crime in those areas. Those responsible for crimes must be held accountable, and I thank LAPD for their work."
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