Dana Point : Man Opens Front Door, Is Hit by Shotgun Blast

A Dana Point man, shot in the face as he opened his front door to investigate noises in the yard, was in serious condition Wednesday at South Coast Medical Center in Laguna Beach, officials said.

Benito Cyprian Chavez, 37, heard noises outside his house in the 34000 block of Alcazar Drive around 2 a.m. Wednesday, according to Sheriff’s Department spokesman Lt. Richard Olson. When Chavez opened his door, a man standing just outside leveled a shotgun at his face, fired once and fled. Chavez was wounded in the side of his face and neck, Olson said.

Chavez staggered back into the house, broke a side window and yelled for someone to call police, Olson said. There is no telephone in the home.

Neighborhood witnesses saw a man drive away in a red Mazda RX-7, said Olson, who described the suspect as 5 feet, 4 inches, with black hair and brown eyes.