Man Investigating Prowler in Garden Grove Shot Dead

A Garden Grove resident who investigated a noise behind his house was shot to death by a prowler who managed to escape a police dragnet, Garden Grove police said Saturday.

Sgt. Doug Morrill said that the victim, Jimmy Atwell, 35, who lives in the 8000 block of Rocky Court, died of a gunshot wound to the chest.

Atwell was pronounced dead at Fountain Valley Trauma Center, Morrill said.

Police believe that the victim had confronted a man who was prowling a residential area earlier but that the man fled after being chased by police.

The incident occurred near Yockey Street and Westminster Avenue about 10:45 p.m. Friday.

Before the shooting, a prowler was seen running into a clump of bushes. But when police gave chase, the man had apparently climbed a fence to escape, Morrill said.

A few minutes later, police received a report of a shooting victim on Rocky Court and found Atwell wounded, Morrill.

Police cordoned off a three-block area, brought in three canine patrols and a helicopter to sweep the area but found nothing.

The suspect was described as white, in his mid-20s and wearing a Pendleton-style shirt and baseball cap, police said.