TUOLUMNE — Hodge Avenue in Tuolumne City is a place where neighbors had felt they could leave windows open and doors unlocked, but that has changed.
“For the most part, it’s been quiet. You can hear the bar fights every now and then from loggers because it’s right there,” one neighbor, who did not wish to be identified, told FOX40.
She says she came home to red and blue flashing lights late Tuesday night. It was the aftermath of a shooting that Tuolumne County Sheriff’s investigators say happened around 11 p.m.
Investigators say an 80-year-old man heard noises in a vacant rental property he owns. Scared for his and his wife’s safety, he shot one of the intruders detectives later identified as 29-year-old Bryce Lawrence. Lawrence survived and is recovering at a Modesto hospital.
His suspected accomplice, 34-year-old Bryanna Ireland, was arrested and booked into the Tuolumne County Jail on burglary charges.
The neighbor FOX40 with said she is familiar with Lawrence.
“He seemed like a pretty alright guy,” she said. “I had no problem being around him, I was comfortable around him.”
Investigators say Lawrence is known to be homeless and has been arrested a number of times for drugs, trespassing and attempted theft.
“I was in shock. I couldn’t believe it. As far as I knew he had gotten himself together,” the neighbor said.
She hopes Lawrence recovers, but does not blame the homeowner for protecting himself.
“I hope he’s OK. It’s his own fault, unfortunately,” she said. “You have to suffer the consequences of your actions, but I do hope he’s OK.”
