Neighbor Shoots, Kills Fleeing Robbery Suspect

A Palms man--described as a quiet insurance agent who had never fired a gun--shot and killed an apparently unarmed robbery suspect who was attempting to flee after allegedly attacking a middle-aged couple, neighbors and police said Friday.

Los Angeles Police Lt. Tim McBride said the suspect, a 53-year-old Venice man, knocked on the door of the manager of an apartment complex in the 3700 block of Clarington Avenue at 11:30 p.m. Thursday. When the manager opened the door, the stocking-masked man pushed his way in, demanded money and struck the manager, 54, and his wife, 60.

Police said an upstairs neighbor heard screams, grabbed his pistol and rushed to his neighbors’ aid. He entered the couple’s apartment and the suspect fled, police said. While running toward the exit of the complex, the suspect suddenly turned back to face the neighbor, police said. Fearing for his life, the neighbor shot the suspect three times in the abdomen, police said.

‘Acted in Self-Defense’

“The neighbor acted in self-defense,” McBride said.

Richard Harrison, 64, who also lives upstairs from the couple, said he was awakened by a woman’s “blood-curdling” screams at 11:35 p.m. and rushed to his window.

“It sounded like someone was being murdered,” Harrison recalled.

Harrison said he heard a couple of gunshots and then saw the neighbor standing about 30 feet outside the couple’s apartment pointing an object in the direction of the exit to the two-story complex.

McBride said the wounded suspect was found lying on the ground about a block from the apartment complex. No one saw him with a weapon and a police search of the area failed to produce one, McBride said.

The suspect, whose identification was being withheld pending notification of his relatives, died at 12:45 p.m. at Brotman Medical Center in Culver City. The couple suffered bruises but did not require hospitalization.

McBride said the district attorney will investigate the incident. He said police decided not to release the names of the couple and the neighbor for fear of retaliation by the suspect’s associates. McBride said the suspect had had previous “contact” with police and was linked to a stolen car found in the area.

Left for Vacation

The neighbor, who Harrison believed is single and in the insurance business, left Friday for a previously planned vacation to New York. A cousin, who came by the apartment Friday to collect the neighbor’s mail, said the man had been packing when he heard the woman’s screams.

“I am very shocked by this,” said the cousin, who declined to give his name. “He’s very quiet and always minds his own business. I know for a fact that he had never fired a gun before.”

He said his cousin purchased the gun for protection and planned to go to a shooting range to learn to use it. After admonishing a neighbor not to speak to a reporter, he said his cousin did not want any publicity.

“He was trying to be a good citizen and a good neighbor,” the cousin said.