A homeowner in Los Angeles’s Valley Village neighborhood managed to fight off a gang of two or three alleged home invaders when they broke into his home around 3:00 in the afternoon on Monday, July 8. The pulse-pounding incident evidently involved the homeowner being attacked by one of the alleged suspects with pepper spray and then responding with gunfire from a semi-automatic handgun, hitting one of the suspects.
The incident comes amidst a painfully problematic and nationally known crime situation in California, with high-profile former Californians leaving because they feel unsafe, businesses closing because of constant crime, and commercial real estate losing much of its value as businesses and residents flee. Los Angeles and San Francisco have been particularly hard hit by the crime problem.
The Los Angeles Police Department described the terrifying home invasion and its role in dealing with the unfortunate situation in a press release. In that press release, the LAPD introduced the shooting by stating, “On July 8, 2024, North Hollywood patrol officers responded to the 11600 block of Addison Street for a radio call of a shooting.”
Continuing, the LAPD described what the homeowner said happened, noting, “When officers arrived, they discovered at least two suspects entered a home with the resident inside. When the resident observed the suspects in his residence, he armed himself with a semi-automatic handgun. One suspect contacted the resident and dispersed pepper spray. The resident then fired several rounds, striking one suspect. The wounded suspect remained at scene until police and paramedics arrived. The second suspect fled the location and entered a waiting vehicle.”
They added that the wounded suspect and homeowner were both hospitalized, though the homeowner’s injuries were relatively minor, saying, “The suspect struck by gunfire was transported by Los Angeles Fire Department personnel to a local hospital and is in critical, but stable condition. The resident of the home was also injured during the incident and was transported to a local hospital where he received treatment for minor injuries.”
The police then identified the wounded suspect, stating, “The suspect in custody has been identified as 35-year-old, Chucks Chukwudi, a resident of Los Angeles. Chukwudi will be booked for the appropriate criminal charges as the investigation continues and his medical condition allows. North Hollywood Detectives are working to identify all other suspects involved. It is believed the suspects involved are related to additional burglaries in the North Hollywood community.”
In something of a surprise given California’s generally anti-tough-on-crime approach, particularly in LA, the statement added that officers were patrolling the area more thoroughly in the wake of the incident. It said, “North Hollywood units will be conducting extra patrol in the area following this incident and will be having community meetings to discuss public safety, burglary prevention, and address any community concerns.”
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Concluding, it asked for the public’s help in identifying the suspects who got away, saying, “Detectives are requesting that anyone with information that could lead to the identification of additional suspects to contact LAPD North Hollywood Detectives at 818-754-8410. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org. Lastly, tipsters may also download the “P3 Tips” mobile application and select the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.”
LAPD Capt. Kelly Muniz told much the same story in a press conference about the home invasion and shooting, Capt. Muniz said, in part, “Two suspects entered a residence with an occupant inside,” Muniz said. “That occupant armed himself with a handgun and fired at the potential burglars that were inside of his home.”