Prowler Suspect Dies After Being Subdued

A suspected prowler creeping through an El Sereno back yard stopped breathing and died early Monday after a homeowner wrestled the man to the ground and handcuffed him, authorities said.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office will perform an autopsy today to determine the exact cause of the man’s death, Los Angeles police said.

The homeowner, whose name was not released, told police that he caught the man in his back yard shortly after 2 a.m. and that the suspected prowler hit him with a rake and they started fighting.

The resident’s brother, who lives next door, joined in the scuffle, and the two were able to subdue the man and slap an old pair of handcuffs onto his wrists.

The two brothers said they then called police but the handcuffed man started having difficulty breathing and died by the time a patrol car arrived. He was taken to an Alhambra hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

“We haven’t had too many of these (cases),” said Los Angeles Police Detective Mike Castro. “We’ve had (prowlers) shot, stabbed, whatever . . . but the bottom line is he apparently just stopped breathing.”

Detectives said it was too early to say whether the homeowner would face charges in the death, but added that it was unlikely. The brothers were questioned by police.

The homeowner said he had bought the handcuffs years ago for “safety” but had never used them until Monday, detectives said.

The brothers were described only as men in their mid-30s. Police were withholding the name of the dead man pending notification of relatives. He was said to be about 28 and a resident of Rosemead.

Among other things, police said, the autopsy will try to determine whether the men used excessive force in subduing the suspected prowler.