Police identify alleged intruder shot, killed by Buckeye homeowner

BUCKEYE, AZ (AZFamily) — Authorities have identified the man who police say was shot and killed while attempting to break into a Buckeye home late Sunday.

In an update on Monday afternoon, police identified the suspect as 27-year-old Michael Diaz.

Just before 9 p.m., police responded to a home on Desert Bloom Street, near Yuma and Watson roads, on reports of shots fired, according to the Buckeye Police Department.

Officers arrived and discovered Diaz had been shot multiple times inside the home. He died at the scene, authorities said.

Details are extremely limited, but Buckeye police confirmed a man is dead after being shot Sunday night.
Detectives say a mother and her two adult children were inside the home when they heard banging on the door.

A woman answered the door, and Diaz reportedly tried to force his way inside. Police say the woman’s son grabbed a handgun and shot the intruder after he broke through the security door and stepped inside.

Police say the family did not know the intruder. No family members were injured during the break-in.

“I feel bad for the family that had to endure this, and I feel bad for someone who didn’t take the responsibility of realizing you don’t go into people’s homes,” said CeCe Lopez.

Lopez and her husband, Enrique, live two doors down from the house where the break-in happened. They say a man wearing a hoodie knocked on their door Friday night.

CeCe said she was on the phone and did not answer. Enrique checked the doorbell camera and saw the man leaving. However, on Sunday night, the man came back and knocked on their door again.

“It was about the same time. Our dogs went crazy again,” said CeCe.

Enrique said he stepped outside, but the man was gone. He then ran to see where he might have gone.

“Then I heard four gunshots,” said Enrique.

They say it could’ve been them who shot the intruder if they had answered their door.

“What do you do? You know what I mean? You’re not just gonna let someone come into your home, and you’re certainly not going to let someone hurt my dogs,” said CeCe.

Howard Snader, a Senior Criminal Attorney for Attorneys for Freedom, said in this case, the homeowner who shot Diaz should be in the clear.

“This incident, as reported, appears to be a stereotypical textbook example of the Castle Doctrine, where you have an absolute right to protect yourself, your family from and intruder in your own residence,” he said.

He said if you’re in fear of being hurt or killed in your home, you can use lethal force. However, if you shoot someone outside of your house, like on the front porch, for example, a self-defense claim will be trickier.

“It gets into a really gray area, and you’re going to look at all the circumstances. So in Arizona, do you have the right to stand your ground? Absolutely. But that comes with risk,” said Snader.