Resident shoots and kills man suspected of breaking into Oceanside home
Oceanside Police investigating shooting as potential self-defense incident.

OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) – A resident shot and killed a man suspected in a home invasion attempt in Oceanside, according to police.

Oceanside Police said officers were dispatched to the 4100 block of Diamond Circle at around 7:22 pm. Monday due to a reported assault with a deadly weapon incident.

Police said two residents — a male and a female — were inside the house when an unknown man armed with a rock and a stick entered the backyard and then made his way through a bedroom sliding door. Police noted the female resident was in the bedroom when the intruder entered.

According to police, the intruder threw the rock at the male resident and hit him in the face.

The injured resident grabbed a gun and fired at least three shots, striking the intruder once in the chest.

Emergency responders attempted life-saving measures, but the intruder — described as a 22-year-old man — was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police at the scene told ABC 10News the resident who fired the shots was not arrested; the shooting is being investigated by the OPD’s Crimes of Violence Uni as a potential self-defense incident.

Neighbors rattled by break-in attempts, gunfire

Isabel and Matthew Cole didn’t hear the gunshots, but around 7:30 p.m. Monday night, they heard someone scream.

“We heard a scream, and we thought it was kids playing because it was really muffled. One of our neighbors came and got us and they said that someone was on the loose and they were breaking into people’s houses and backyards,” said Matthew Cole. “Everybody who lived here came outside of the house, and we were all looking around to see if the person came into our backyard, but by then, the police were already here.”

Oceanside Police said the man attempted to break into 5 to 7 homes in the neighborhood.

One of the affected residents showed ABC 10News the mess that was left behind in their backyard after a break-in attempt.

The resident said they don’t think he took anything.

Meanwhile, the Coles said it looks like the man tried to get through their back gate but wasn’t successful.

“The whole time we’ve lived here we’d go out to our car at night. We’d walk around like when he has to go potty, we take him out. So, we honestly never thought anything like that would happen around here because it’s so quiet,” said Isabel Cole.

She added, “Thinking about how close it was, I’m grateful it wasn’t us, but I feel so bad for our neighbors. I know they looked pretty spooked, and a couple of other neighbors are pretty spooked about it.”