A Rancho Santa Margarita resident pulled a gun on a suspected prowler early Sunday morning and waited for police services to arrive.
According to the blotter of the Orange County Sheriff's Department, an informant called 9-1-1 shortly after 1:30 a.m., and reported that he and his wife had nabbed someone in their backyard.
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The caller indicated that his wife was telling the suspect to keep his hands up.
Another informant called 9-1-1 to report that someone was on the slope between Highpoint and Muirfield yelling that he was going to "take someone out."
The suspect from the backyard, Ryan Ashton Davis, 22, was taken into custody.
The original call came from Muirfield.
This report was culled from the Orange County Sheriff's website. Not all facts in each report are made public; the outcome of the report, as well as the facts, may differ from the original blotter item. There should be no assumption of guilt based on this limited information.
Alarms have limited value. A criminal can break your window or right through your door and trip your alarm. So what? Your alarm company will call you first before contacting police, so even if you can't answer the call, precious time is lost. You can call 911, but how long will it take for a response? By the time a deputy arrives, the burglar can have assaulted or even killed your children or you! Lives are the "things" I would be protecting with a gun.
We should balance caution with life. A few years ago my Siberian, notorious for running away, escaped out of the garage when I got home. I got a flashlight to chase her. She ran up the hill -- right into gate guarded Canyon Crest. I could not get in with my car ... so I went up the hill after her, with my flashlight, just hoping no one would think I was a burgler. Thankfully I caught her. We live with too much fear, and it just creates more.
The new video cameras are better and now MUCH cheaper than the old paid alarm service companies. The video pictures and warnings go right to your smartphone so you can call the police and neighbors in real time. Plus you have the added bonus of checking to see if anybody is messing with the yard, car, mail, pets;etc. The combo of both cameras and a big protective dog can't be beat! It's a whole new World of deterrence... http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Camera-Packages/ci/3672/N/4293342854 A cheaper deterrence: http://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Dummy-Security-Camera-Blinking/dp/B0013Q1XTM
Having a gun is good. Having a gun and a pair of cuffs. Not a bad idea either.
California Penal Code section 198.5, the “Home Protection Bill Of Rights”: “Any person using force intended or likely to cause death or great bodily injury within his or her residence shall be presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily injury to self, family, or a member of the household when that force is used against another person, not a member of the family or household, who unlawfully and forcibly enters or has unlawfully and forcibly entered the residence and the person using the force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry occurred." As used in this section, great bodily injury means a significant or substantial physical injury.”