A suspected burglar was shot and killed while attempting to break into a home in Vista Thursday morning, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said.
It happened around 5 a.m. in the 1700 block of York Drive, east of Santa Fe Avenue. A homeowner called 911 to report that a man in his backyard was trying to break into his home. While on the phone with dispatch, shots were fired.
The suspect, identified Saturday by the sheriff's department as 43-year-old Theodore Anthony Stewart of Vista, was found with a gunshot wound. He later died at a nearby hospital.
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Police say there is no indication that the resident who called 911, whose name is still being withheld, knew Stewart. The resident was not injured in the incident, deputies said.
Sheriff's have not confirmed who fired the gun.
"We are still in the early stages of this investigation. We have yet to determine all the facts surrounding this incident, which will determine what additional information may be released," sheriff’s Lt. Joseph Jarjura said in a news release.
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Steve Moore and his 3-year-old son Kai noticed the change in scenery.
"What's the world coming to?" Moore asked. "You get people trying to break in. We still are in the Wild Wild West, so you just got to protect your home, and I understand that. And it's sad, but it should be a lesson or a warning for the people that are trying to break into houses and cars.”
