LOCAL : Sheriff’s Deputy Shoots, Kills Prowler in Laguna Hills Area

An Orange County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a suspected prowler who police said had pointed a handgun at investigating officers, authorities said today.

The deputy was investigating an emergency call from a Laguna Hills resident who had reported a man trying to break into a kitchen window, neighbors said.

The deputy, whom authorities declined to name, fired at the unidentified man during a confrontation in the back of the house, according to police.

The man was pronounced dead at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center almost two hours after the 12:26 a.m. shooting, hospital spokeswoman Jan Walker said.

Sheriff’s Department spokesman Lt. Richard Olson said that the shooting occurred when deputies in the department’s Laguna Niguel substation responded to an emergency call from a woman living in a house on the 2500 block of La Suen Road, near La Paz Road and the San Diego Freeway. The woman, whom Olson declined to identify, told authorities that a man was trying to break into her kitchen window, neighbors said.

When deputies arrived and walked to the rear of the darkened house, they confronted a man, Olson said.

“They ordered the suspect to raise his hands,� Olson said. “When the suspect raised his hands, they observed a handgun in his right hand.�

At that point, Olson said, the suspect pointed the handgun at them, and one of the deputies fired. Neighbors reported that two shots were fired.

Olson declined to discuss details of the shooting, saying the Orange County district attorney’s office is investigating.