Antioch, California

From the San Jose Mercury News of March 18, 2006

Suspected prowler killed in Antioch

Antioch police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man who police believe was prowling in a yard.

Mario Rivera, 24, was shot while in a backyard on the 1000 block of Putnam Street. He died at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

Police responded to a call at 2:47 a.m. that a resident had shot an intruder, Sgt. Dimitri Barakos stated in a press release.

When officers arrived they found Rivera, wounded, in Jason Goettsch's yard. Goettsch, 35, told police he was inside his house with his girlfriend when they heard someone in the back yard.

Rivera had to climb a fence to get into the yard and was looking into the house's windows, Detective Mike Franzen said.

Goettsch got a handgun and confronted Rivera, who was armed with a baseball bat.

The investigation is ongoing.