The Antelope Valley Times

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Employee fatally shoots burglary suspect at Lancaster donut shop

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The shooting happened around 2:53 a.m. Friday, Feb. 24, at Sugary Donuts on the 43600 block of 15th Street West in Lancaster. The shop was not open to customers at the time. Detectives told reporters that the suspects backed up to the donut shop in a vehicle, which was left behind by the fleeing suspect. [Photo by LUIS MEZA]
LANCASTER – One of two men who broke into a Lancaster doughnut shop early Friday morning was shot to death by an employee, authorities said.

A call about the shooting came in a little before 3 a.m. from the 43600 block of 15th Street West in Lancaster, according to Deputy Trina Schrader of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

According to a preliminary investigation, two men smashed the front window of the business and entered it, apparently intending to burglarize the shop, and an employee shot one of them, the sheriff’s department reported.

The wounded suspect died at the scene. His name has not yet been released pending next of kin notification.

“The other suspect took off, ran away,” Lt. John Carino told reporters Friday.

The donut shop’s owner told KTLA that her employee was “very shook up” over the situation.

“I’m just glad that he’s okay,” she said.

“Apparently, he had been the victim of a robbery before,” Lt. Corina said of the employee, whose name was withheld. “He had been robbed at a previous donut shop where he worked.”

Corina noted that in California, it’s legal to be armed while working inside one’s business just as it’s legal for residents to be armed while inside their homes.

The shooting remains under investigation. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

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UPDATE: A news release from the Sheriff’s Information Bureau gave more details on the fatal shooting. Read a portion of it below:

Detectives have learned that Lancaster Station deputies responded to the location for a “burglary in progress” call for service. When deputies arrived, they found the front glass door of the business shattered.  An employee of the business met the deputies outside the location and explained to the deputies that at the time of the burglary, the store was closed for business when several suspects broke the glass and entered the store.

One of the suspects grabbed the cash register, while the second suspect forced his way past the front counter and approached him with a tire iron.  The employee, fearing for his safety, shot the suspect with a gun he had inside the store.  The suspect collapsed inside the store while the other suspect ran away.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.  The deceased suspect had no identification on him and has yet to be identified. The deceased suspect is described as a male black adult, possibly in his 20’s.

The second suspect is still outstanding and the only description given is a male.

The tire iron that the second suspect was wielding was recovered at the scene.

This employee was interviewed but was not arrested.  The employee’s firearm was recovered at the scene.

The facts of the case will be presented to the District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration.

The investigation is ongoing and there is no additional information available at this time.

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62 comments for "Employee fatally shoots burglary suspect at Lancaster donut shop"

  1. Who cares? 90% of People have no business eating donuts anyway, drop the saturated fat and get your big derrières out to run or exercise. LOL!

    • What is I lift a bit, then walk my ‘obese’ self to the donut shop, have my half dozen donuts and coffee, then walk home and pull weeds? Does that count?

      • That’s 1800 calories for breakfast, so you can’t eat for a day and a half if you just want to maintain. Your choice- LOL!

        • What if I burn 4000 calories a day?

          I don’t, at this point, but I used to just on my job. DoNuts for the win!

          • Used to burn a heck of a lot calories climbing ladders with loads all day up and down refinery towers. Loved the lunch truck breakfast burritos and lunch was a couple burgers and fries.

        • Depending on height, weight and activity that may be less than half of what is needed.
          Part of the problem with BMI is it is way off for heights at both ends of the spectrum and assumes a rather lazy day of activity.

  2. Adios Basura. I have purchased pastries/ coffee and lotto tickets from that shop. Nice people, every quiet spot. If the deceased had only NOT done what he did he would be live NOW. I know he was a good young man trying to feed his family, right. He had mental health issue too, right. Better for the community the criminal is dead than the owner being dead and just another crime stat on the AV police blog. A word of advice, stop doing crime you can live longer and your family will not get the bad news.

    By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
    Confucius

  3. I wonder if the parents of the man who got shot are trying to claim racism and saying that their son was on the way to college

  4. This the feel good story of the week.

    Absolutely awesome that this North American Super Predator will never rob anyone again.

  5. The donut man is a hero !!!!! Don’t feel bad he just killed a dirt bag !!!i’m so glad I don’t live in the Antelope Valley more.

  6. How unfortunate that this hard working citizen’s life will be forever changed by the stupidity of thugs. By them leaving their vehicle, assuming it was not stolen, I hope they are able to track down the other suspect and arrest him. This donut store and it’s employees are the best!

    • So true regarding the employee. He has to live with the fact he actually killed someone, regardless of why, for the rest of his life. All of the support should be for that fellow and his family.

  10. Praise the Lord for the 2nd Amendment and the NRA. This needs to happen more . About time the thugs get taken out.

  11. I sleep well at night because of my gun by my side
    The donut man worked well at night because of his gun by his side
    Happiness is a warm gun

    • Yes, we are taking back America from those who act like vicious animals who care not for law biding, hard working Americans. The 2nd amendment saved this man’s life.

  15. Ohhhhhh but I thought guns were baaaaaddddd. Had that employee not been armed who knows if he would be alive to tell his story. Baaaaadddd gun. They really do have killer donuts.

        • The original poster presented what might qualify as a red herring argument. And you’ve joined the silly train as well I don’t know of any gun control advocates that would like to see business owners barred from having a hand gun at their place of business.

          You can be silly and alive while supporting realistic and sensible gun control. Its just a thought process you are clearly incapable of performing.

        • The original comment was essentially a red herring. I have never heard a gun control advocate arguing that a business owner should not be allowed to have a hand gun. Sensible, realistic gun control is irrelevant to this incident. It’s a common sense discussion that silly posters like the one above – and you – are incapable of having.

  21. Very pathetic to just want to even attempt to rob a shop, and a donut one out of all places…People are desperate and will do anything these days, really , how hard is it to actually get off your ass, get a job, and EARN what you need and want, instead of taking from ones that do!!! Guy totally got what he deserved , I love when karma gets people!

  22. It’s a shame the shop owner/employee(s) have to work hard every day and now due to some jackals coming to cause harm to them have to defend themselves in courts in front of the law to prove their innocence my opinion they should get a reward well deserved…. innocent 100%…

  23. best donuts ever…really nice people too…the loser got what was coming to him when people work hard to make a living and this happens to them..

  24. I can’t believe that one of the employees in this donut shop is armed in order to protect from bad people.

    • Because of the hours they work donut shops are popular robbery targets. Unfortunate part of the business and good reason to be prepared.

  26. What happened to people nowdays……how we think is ridiculous…..let us pray for the one who had to defend himself as well as for the family of the one who was trying to come up in this shitty environment and paid his life for it. .. My prayers go out…

          • I’m pretty sure Gowchong was being sarcastic..ever hear of that? I invented it yesterday…

        • Your point?

          Gowchong comes off the wall with some comment that has no connection to facts or the story at hand, I call him on it, and your issue is with me. Are you just trying to show some sort of troll solidarity with Gowchong, or what?

          • Tim remember you make good points most of the time to me..don’t let these “haters” get to you their not worth a response they are trolls who try to get under your skin because THEY have no lives or good points to point out on subjects..humanity is a trip at times..keep commenting your usually the most interesting thing to read on this “blog…no people not a kiss assss just notice all the hate Tim gets…