MODESTO, CALIFORNIA – A female suspect was fatally shot while allegedly attempting to break into a couple’s home Tuesday night. The incident occurred in the unincorporated area of Modesto on Tuesday night, along a rural asphalt two-lane road lined by orchards, vineyards, farmhouses, and upscale homes.
The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department said that the shooting is being investigated as an act of self-defense. Deputies responded to the 3900 block of Blue Gum Avenue around 7:50 p.m. for an apparent home invasion. Upon arrival, they located an unresponsive woman in a parked car and determined she had been fatally shot.
The preliminary investigation shows that the woman, currently unidentified, attempted to force entry into the home by smashing a sliding glass door with a fire extinguisher.
The two residents of the home called to nearby neighbors for help and armed themselves when it became apparent that the woman was attempting to break in. They verbally warned her to go away, but she continued her efforts to enter the home and threatened to kill the couple.
With their warnings ignored, a female occupant of the home fired a single shot, striking the intruder in the torso. The suspect then broke into one of the couple’s cars and died inside.
The residents of the home were not injured. The sheriff’s department is continuing to investigate the incident as self-defense, and the couple has been cooperative. An autopsy was scheduled, and the woman’s identity will be released after her family has been notified.
