Oxnard Man Who Broke Into Apartment Is Slain

An Oxnard man who broke into the bedroom of a Rancho Cucamonga apartment early Friday morning was shot and killed by one of the occupants -- a prison counselor for the state Department of Corrections, authorities said.

The intruder, Hector Soto, 21, of Oxnard, died less than three hours after being shot and undergoing surgery at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, the San Bernardino County coroner said.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department did not release the prison counselor’s name. He will not be charged, a spokeswoman said.

The break-in occurred about 2:50 a.m. Sheriff’s homicide investigators said Soto opened a front window to enter the apartment in the 8400 block of Fir Street, and walked to a bedroom. The prison counselor fought with Soto and then pulled a pistol from his nightstand, sheriff’s investigators said.

When Soto advanced, the prison counselor shot Soto one time, investigators said.