Man Fatally Shot During Alleged Vandalism Attempt
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OXNARD — A local man died early Wednesday after he was shot once in the back by the owner of a truck he was allegedly trying to vandalize, authorities said.
Ricardo Hinojosa, 22, was pronounced dead shortly after 1 a.m. at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard.
Police suspect that Hinojosa, who had recently been released from jail after a string of misdemeanor offenses, was attempting to break into the Ford F-150 pickup truck early Wednesday as it sat parked on Percy Street in South Oxnard.
The man who fired the fatal shot ran outside and confronted Hinojosa, said Oxnard Police Sgt. Jim Seitz.
“He hears his car being broken into, he arms himself, has a conflict with the suspect and fears for his life,” Seitz said. “Based on the evidence found at the scene, we did not think that we could affect an arrest.”
Seitz said detectives are continuing their investigation and will turn over their findings to the district attorney’s office early next week.
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