Sun Valley : Man Kills Robber in Apparent Self-Defense

A Mendocino County man fatally shot a Sun Valley resident who was robbing him in a San Fernando Valley park early Thursday, Los Angeles police said.

John Carder, 50, was questioned by police and released after shooting Mark Donnelly, 22, in what seemed like self-defense, Detective Mike Coffey said.

Carder was driving a U-Haul truck from Mendocino County through the Valley to help a friend move when he pulled off a freeway Wednesday night and into Sun Valley Park to take a nap, Coffey said.

He was awakened about 1:45 a.m. by Donnelly, who leveled a sawed-off rifle at Carder, Coffey said. Telling Carder he was “going to kill him several times,” Donnelly ordered Carder out of the truck and demanded his money and watch, Coffey said.

Carder handed over $125 in cash and his wristwatch, and Donnelly left, Coffey said. But a short time later he came back and ordered Carder back into the truck and rifled through papers looking for more money. Coffey said Donnelly also demanded that Carder open the rear of the truck.

Carder reached under the seat cushion and pulled out a .380 semiautomatic pistol and fired it at Donnelly, hitting him several times in the chest, Coffey said.

Donnelly staggered off to his nearby home, where he died a short time later. Carder ran from the park and called police, Coffey said.

The district attorney’s office will decide whether to charge Carder, Coffey said.

“He’s so upset,” Coffey said of Carder, “that he left the U-Haul here and went back to Mendocino County.”