Riverside gunfight leaves would-be burglar dead, resident wounded

A resident fatally shot a suspect who was apparently trying to break into a Riverside apartment early Wednesday, police said.

The incident was reported around 1:40 a.m. in the 5900 block of Sycamore Canyon Boulevard.

The victim alerted police to a burglary in progress, then called back to indicate gunshots had been exchanged.

Responding Riverside police officers found the resident suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. He was taken to a hospital with an injury that was not life-threatening.

As officers searched the area of the apartment complex, they found a car that had crashed into other vehicles and a man inside suffering from a gunshot wound. The man, believed to be one of the suspects involved in the burglary call, was taken to a hospital where he later died.

He was later identified by police as 20-year-old Denzeal Young of Moreno Valley.

Officers continued to search the area with bloodhounds and did not find any other suspects.

They do believe, however, that at least one other person was involved. One neighbor told KTLA he heard the gunshots and the crash and later saw three people get out of the suspect vehicle, two of them running away.

“We don’t believe that the suspects actually made entry, they may have been attempting to get inside and then this exchange of gunfire occurred,” Officer Ryan Railsback said Wednesday. “We don’t know if this is a targeted victim, or if this is just something random.”

Railsback added that the victim is cooperating with authorities during the investigation.

The victim’s girlfriend went to the scene of the shooting Wednesday afternoon to see the damage that was done to the apartment.

“I’m just happy he’s OK,” Jazmine told reporters.

She said she hasn’t had a chance to speak to him because he is still in the hospital. “He’s going to be OK,” Jazmine added.