Acampo, California

From the Stockton Record of June 15, 2007

Driver who struck home was looking for his wife

The man who shot and killed a driver who moments earlier intentionally rammed a car through his North Des Moines Road home late Wednesday feared for his life and may have acted in self-defense, a San Joaquin County sheriff's official said.

Detectives believe that the driver, Ravi Batuk Vora, 39, of Burbank, was in a rage and was convinced his wife was hiding inside the Acampo resident's house before smashing his car through the home at about 9 p.m., Deputy Les Garcia, a sheriff's spokesman, said Thursday.

But Vora already had been exhibiting bizarre behavior before his confrontation with the homeowner, Garcia said. Detectives believe the incident started inside Vora's car earlier in the evening, Garcia said, and unfolded like this:

Vora was traveling with his wife, whose name was not released, from the Sacramento area en route to Southern California on Wednesday evening, when, for unexplained reasons, he left the freeway and started driving through local back roads.

At one point, Vora pulled the car off the road and demanded his wife follow him into a nearby orchard, Garcia said. Vora's wife, fearing for her safety, ran away. Vora got back into the car and started looking for her.

A passing motorist later picked up Vora's wife and took her to a nearby convenience store, where she called 911, Garcia said.

As Vora searched for his wife, he saw a person arriving at a house in the 21000 block of North Des Moines Road and pulled his car up to the home, Garcia said. Vora confronted the homeowner and claimed his wife was inside.

Vora left the man's house and returned three times to argue with the homeowner, Garcia said. As Vora stood outside, banging on the door and yelling, the homeowner grabbed a gun and called 911.

Vora then returned to his car, drove away, and moments later slammed his car through the front entrance of the house, Garcia said. A dog inside the home was struck by the car and killed, Garcia said.

Inside the house, Vora got out of his car and "advanced toward" the homeowner, who fired one shot and struck Vora in the upper body, Garcia said. Vora died at the scene.

Garcia did not identify the homeowner. But according to a record of Lodi police calls, a man named David Robinson called a local business Thursday morning to inform a manager that he had shot someone who drove into his house. A man by the same name also is listed in a phone directory as residing at the North Des Moines Road address.

Outside the one-story, beige North Des Moines Road home Thursday, the property's backyard easily could be seen through a massive, gaping hole in the house. A man who was helping repair the ranch house said the homeowner was not around that afternoon and would not be commenting about the incident.

A phone call to the house also was not returned.

Garcia said detectives still are investigating the case as a homicide, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office will determine whether the homeowner acted in self-defense when he shot Vora. The homeowner was not arrested, Garcia said.

From the Lodi News-Sentinel of September 27, 2007

Acampo shooting ruled self-defense

An Acampo homeowner acted in self-defense and will not face charges for fatally shooting a man who drove through his home and confronted him, prosecutors said Wednesday.

David Robinson, 60, was not arrested after the June 13 death of Ravi Batuk Vora, 39. San Joaquin County Sheriff's deputies instead investigated the case and then forwarded it to prosecutors, who ruled it justifiable homicide.

Robinson fired one gunshot, only after Vora had "initiated a prolonged and repeated assault" on Robinson and his wife, Deputy District Attorney Ron Freitas wrote in his final report on the case, which was signed Wednesday by District Attorney Jim Willett.

(Much More)