Fire Investigator Killed, Woman Hurt by Gunman

An arson investigator for the Orange County Fire Department was killed and a woman seriously injured when a gunman fired through the bedroom window of her condominium in San Juan Capistrano early Saturday.

An arrest warrant was issued for K. C. Janulaitis, 42, of San Clemente, whom witnesses described as an acquaintance of the woman, said Lt. Dick Olson, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

The shooting occurred shortly after 1:30 a.m. when an intruder snatched a screen from an open window and fired at least three shots into the darkened bedroom, hitting Dennis Donaldson, 46, of Seal Beach and Barbara Lynn Clark, 31.

Neighbors said Clark told them that she and Donaldson were investigating a fire at a building she owned, and that Janulaitis was a suspect in the fire. Sheriff’s Department investigators and Orange County Fire Department officials declined to discuss the case and would not confirm if Donaldson was investigating a case involving Clark or Janulaitis.

Died During Surgery

Donaldson, an arson investigator for the county Fire Department for five years, died at 7:45 a.m. during surgery at Mission Community Hospital. He was shot once in the lower abdomen.

Clark, who had lived at the one-bedroom condominium at 26545 Camino de Vista less than two months, was shot once on the right side. Her condition, initially listed as critical, was upgraded to serious late Saturday, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The search for Janulaitis was prompted by information provided by a couple who had run to Clark’s condominium after the shooting, Olson said.

Scott Bates, 19, a Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, said he and his wife, Yvonne, heard at least three loud shots and screaming. The couple, who live above Clark’s place, saw a silver 1985 Chevrolet Camaro drive away.

Shots, Screams Heard

“I heard the three shots and someone screaming for help,” Scott Bates said. “I wouldn’t have come out if I hadn’t heard her screaming for help.”

When the Bateses reached the downstairs condominium, he said, they found Donaldson almost unconscious, lying on the floor and bleeding from the stomach wound. He said Clark was sitting there, bleeding from the wound in her right side.

While Bates tried to stop Clark’s bleeding, she told his wife to take down information that she was going to give her.

“I looked around and found an envelope and wrote the information down,” Yvonne Bates said. “She told me it was K.C., and she spelled his last name for me.” Clark also told her that the suspect drove a silver Camaro.

“She seemed to know who he was right away. She talked very slow, almost word for word, as if images were coming in her head,” she said.

Yvonne Bates said they had seen the Camaro at least once during the past week.

“I know I saw it, because I remember telling somebody what a nice car it was,” she said.

Investigating Fire

Scott Bates also said Clark told him that she and Donaldson “had been investigating a fire at a building she owned, and that Janulaitis was involved in that investigation.”

“She said they were trying to pin him down,” he said. “She said this guy (Donaldson) was trying to get K.C. for something.”

Sheriff’s Department investigators said they did not know what the relationship was between the two victims and the suspect before the shooting.

Lt. Paul Falk of the San Clemente Police Department said officers in that city were assisting in the search for Janulaitis. He said the suspect had been arrested before in San Clemente on various minor charges.

“He is known to us,” Falk said. “But we’ve never arrested him for anything huge, like a felony.”