Police: Man Fatally Shoots Woman Ransacking His Long Beach Home
LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — A man shot and killed a woman who he claimed was ransacking his Bixby Knolls home, officials reported.
Police are investigating whether the homeowner shot the woman in self-defense.
Officers responded Tuesday night to a call of shots fired at a home in Country Club Drive.
Tom Greer, 80, told police he walked in on a man and woman going through his belongings.
The pair reportedly tackled Greer, but he was able to get his gun and turned it on the woman.
Greer told a local news outlet: "She says, 'Don't shoot me, I'm pregnant! I'm going to have a baby!' And I shot her anyway."
Investigators won't say whether the shooting happened inside the house or in the alley behind the home.
Police say they're determining whether the homeowner will face charges.
Neighbor George Romero said Greer is a "nice, old man" who's been burglarized on multiple occasions.
"I remember the first break-in. They literally tore down the front door. And that's where I came in and met him. I said, 'Hey, what's going on? You OK?' And ever since then, we've been acquaintances," Romero said.
Neighbors say they've seen a spike in crime in Bixby Knolls, an upscale neighborhood in Long Beach.
Romero said: "We have a lot of people who come over here to find something that they don't have. And, unfortunately, we do live in a good area."
