Intruder who threatened to return to Calaveras County home killed during 2nd break-in

CALAVERAS COUNTY, Calif. —
An intruder was shot and killed by a homeowner after deputies said he broke into the same house twice in two days.

Just after midnight on Sunday, Calaveras County deputies responded to a home in the 7000 block of Gabor Street in Valley Springs for a report of a forced entry.

When deputies arrived, two men in the front of the home said that an unknown man, later identified as 28-year-old Lennin Elizalde, had kicked down the front door and began assaulting them. One of the men then told deputies that he had shot the intruder in self-defense.

Elizalde was declared dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.

During the investigation, deputies found that Elizalde had been arrested the day before for breaking into that same home.

Officials said that the people living inside the home had recently bought it through a real estate company, and while moving, the two residents found that Elizalde had broken into the home through a side door.

Elizalde was the son of the former owner of the home, officials said. The new owners of the home had called 911, but Elizalde had left before deputies arrived, but told the new owners he intended to return to the home.

He was later arrested by patrol deputies on illegal entry, possession of meth and vandalism charges. While being taken to jail, Elizalde told the deputy that he believed the home was still his property and he planned on going back.

The patrol deputy submitted an application to get Elizalde’s bail increased due to the statements he was making on returning to the home, but was ultimately denied by the judge because of the misdemeanor arrest charges.

The new residents of the home were not arrested or cited. The investigation is ongoing.