Here's a bit more information:
From the
Valencia County News Bulletin:
Sanchez told investigators he saw a vehicle parked near the building and two individuals "doing something." He said he drove by the business and stopped to talk with a neighbor. While doing so, Sanchez said he saw the two individuals get into the vehicle and leave the business.
According to the complaint, Sanchez followed the vehicle and called 911. He followed the vehicle for a short distance, trying to get a license plate number for the 911 operator.
When Sanchez turned east onto Gabaldon Road, about a block north of the propane business, he says the vehicle stopped and two men approached his car. Sanchez told deputies he believed the men had something in their hands but could not tell what it was.
Sanchez said he tried to roll up his driver's side window and put his vehicle in reverse. It was then that Sanchez said Gabaldon broke his window with an unknown object and struck him repeatedly in the face, trying to pull him from his vehicle.
Sanchez said he was in fear for his life and reached for the gun he had on the seat. Sanchez said he fired the handgun and the man fell to the ground; he said he was still on his cell phone with the 911 operator during the incident, the complaint says.
According to
this article, Mr. Sanchez is now out on bond.
Perhaps the DA will argue he provoked the suspects by following them?
Apart from that possibility, it sounds a lot like self-defense, based on what's been reported... Perhaps Mr. Sanchez would have been wiser to keep his distance, but unless it comes out that he was driving really aggressively, trying to run the alleged burglars off the road or some such, I'd say following and trying to get a license number while on the phone to 911 sounds like being a good citizen, pretty much. (Of course there's the whole talking-while-driving thing, but in the circumstances, I'd give him a pass on that.
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