Huntington Beach shooting suspect allegedly broke into unoccupied home, found a gun

A Huntington Beach man was arrested Monday after he allegedly broke into an unoccupied home and shot off a firearm he found inside the residence, police reported Tuesday.

Mathew Batarse, 46, surrendered to police without incident and was taken into custody and booked on suspicion of residential burglary, shooting at an inhabited dwelling or vehicle and willfully discharging a firearm in a negligent manner.

Huntington Beach police spokeswoman Jessica Cuchilla said Tuesday police were called to the 7800 block of Garfield Avenue at 4 p.m. Monday, where they determined a shooting had occurred at a residence.

Officers determined Batarse had entered an unoccupied home, found a firearm there and then fired shots from inside the dwelling. No one was injured during the shooting, which appears to have been an isolated incident, according to Cuchilla.

Police assured residents there was no threat to public safety. The motive for and circumstances of the shooting are still under investigation. It was unclear whether Batarse attempted to steal anything from the home.

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