Police: Patterson woman fatally shoots intoxicated man trying to break into home
PATTERSON -- Detectives with the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office are currently investigating a shooting in which a Patterson homeowner fired a revolver in self-defense of her husband who was fighting to keep an intoxicated intruder out of their residence.
At 10:20 p.m. Saturday, Patterson Police Services patrol deputies were dispatched to the 500 block of Ashwood Lane on the report of shots fired.
The reporting party called to say they had received a phone call from one of their female Mandarin-speaking neighbors to say she had just shot and killed an intruder, according to a news release.
Law enforcement arrived shortly thereafter and located the unresponsive man down near the entryway to the house.
Through the review of external and internal video surveillance footage, and after taking statements from those who were on-scene and witnessed the altercation, deputies said it appears 22-year-old Patterson resident Angelo Santana became heavily intoxicated and tried to force entry into the home of 50-year-old Yuhui Zheng and her husband, 45-year-old Yang Luan.
The husband attempted to physically restrain Santana and was involved in a significant fight near the threshold of the front-door, according to deputies.
Luan sustained minimal physical injuries including abrasions and scratches to the back, while fighting Santana and trying to defend his home.
During, Zheng retrieved a revolver from the upstairs bedroom -- which she had acquired only one-day prior -- and in self-defense of her husband, fired all rounds into Angelo Santana who was unarmed.
Investigators have made no arrests in this case, and their preliminary findings are this was self-defense.
Other interviews with those familiar with Santana indicate he had a history of alcohol substance abuse, wherein he would regularly show up unannounced trying to find friends and acquaintances of his in the same neighborhood, deputies said.
The homeowners are cooperating with detectives as the investigation into this incident remains active and ongoing and findings will eventually be submitted to the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office for review of the legality of the homicide.