An armed burglary suspect was fatally shot by Orange County sheriff’s deputies outside a home in Lake Forest Wednesday, authorities said.
Deputies responded to a burglary in progress at a home in the 22000 block of Loumont Drive, near the intersection of Muirlands Boulevard and Ridge Route Drive, at about 1 a.m., according to Carrie Braun of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
“The deputies arrived on scene (and) they encountered a female across the street from the location,” sheriff’s Lt. Chad Taylor said. “The female was described as in her late 20s and in possession of a handgun. Deputies gave numerous commands to drop the handgun.”
The woman failed to drop the handgun, and she was shot, Braun said. The woman, whose name was withheld pending notification of her relatives, died at a hospital. A gun was recovered at the scene, officials said.
“My wife heard it, and then my son and I woke up …,” neighbor Lance Perry told KTLA5. “We didn’t know what the boom was. … So, like, somebody was trying to break in, and they got caught.”
No injuries were reported to deputies or the homeowner, Braun said.