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The Latest – Friday, July 2:

7:35 a.m.

The intruder shot and killed by an elderly homeowner has been identified as 32-year-old Pearl Fierro, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office told FOX40.


Original story below:

MODESTO, Calif. (KTXL) — The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after an elderly homeowner shot and killed an intruder near Modesto Junior College West Campus. 

The sheriff’s office said the shooting happened at a home on Blue Gum Avenue near Dakota Avenue.

According to the sheriff’s office, a woman used a fire extinguisher to smash a sliding glass door at an elderly couple’s home Tuesday night.

Armed with a firearm, the couple started calling for help and tried to get the woman to leave.

Investigators said the woman kept trying to get into the house and threatened to kill the couple, which is when the female homeowner opened fire and shot the intruder in the torso.

The intruder got into one of the homeowners’ parked cars, where her body was found, the sheriff’s office said.

No one else was injured in the incident.

The sheriff’s office said the homeowners are cooperating with investigators.

“All the factors there that make us determine, ‘Hey, this was reasonable use of force in this case,’ and it turned out to be deadly force. But the homeowner can’t be held criminally liable for that type of behavior,” said Sacramento attorney Mark Reichel when asked about potential charges the homeowner could face.

“They became frightened enough that they had a weapon, they used it and she left and she died thereafter,” he continued. “So that’s the case that I think is a textbook example of the Castle Doctrine as it applies in California to homeowners.”

An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon and the intruder’s identity will be reported once next of kin is contacted.

Anyone with more information about the incident has been asked to call Detective Martin at 209-525-7093. Tipsters can also choose to remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-866-602-7463 or download the P3 Tip application.