A Midtown resident opened fire on a man vandalizing a market, injuring him and leading to his own arrest on criminal charges.
San Diego police are describing what happened outside the Cloverleaf Market Monday night as a vigilante shooting.
Antonio Barragan is scheduled to appear in court Thursday on charges of assault with a deadly weapon.
Barragan heard the commotion outside the deli on Reynard Way around 11 p.m. Monday and left his home to investigate.
Deli owner Blake Duplass heard the commotion as well and describes what he saw.
“I don't know what he was on but he was screaming at the top of his lungs,” said Duplass.
“He was ripping plants out of the ground he was throwing the trash can in the parking lot neighbors one by one were getting woken up,” he said.
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Norson Obet, 30, was banging on the glass and yelling police said.
According to police, a clerk inside the Cloverleaf Market stopped Obet from shoplifting by coaxing him out of the store and locking the door behind him.
Barragan, who lives nearby, thought his friend behind the counter was under attack so he ran home to grab his gun according to police.
It wasn't just any handgun. Investigators say it is an FN-57. The gun is legal in California but controversial.
It's a semi-automatic used by military and police in 40 countries. The rounds are rifle-like and with certain ammunition, the gun can penetrate body armor.
Barragan shot Obet once in the chest, injuring him officials said.
No matter Barragan's intentions, officials say he faces an assault with a deadly weapon charge.
“Bottom line is, if somebody is going to shoot somebody, just as any police officer does in his/her duty, they have to have legal justification to do that,” said SDPD Capt. Andrew Mills. “Based on what the investigators saw at the scene and the investigation conducted we did not feel like justification was there.”
The neighborhood has never seen anything like it. and hopes never to see this again.
“I understand wanting to help out wanting to try to alleviate the situation with whatever you got but it's not smart,” Duplass said.
The case has been turned over to the District Attorney’s Office to determine if charges will be filed.
