Sgt. Steve Owen died at a hospital Wednesday afternoon, several hours after he was shot while responding to a report of a burglary in a neighborhood in Lancaster, north of Los Angeles.
Owen and his partner responded to a 911 call about 12:35 p.m. from a woman reporting a burglary in progress at an apartment building in the 3200 block of West Avenue J-7.
As Owen checked the rear of the apartment building, a gunman appeared and shot him. Owen's partner, who was at the front of the building, ran to the rear and found the wounded sergeant.
Owen was rushed to the hospital in a sheriff’s cruiser, Katz said. He died hours later.
The gunman, meanwhile, ran to the front and tried to steal Owen's cruiser. Another sheriff’s deputy arrived and opened fire when the gunman threw the car into reverse and rammed another cruiser, injuring a deputy inside.
After the collision, the gunman ran into a nearby home where two teenagers were inside. One teen was able to send a text message to alert authorities.
Shortly after 2 p.m., sheriff’s SWAT deputies forced their way into the home and a man fled through the back, where he hopped a wall.
Authorities say the man later fled to a home, which was surrounded, and was arrested after he tried to climb a fence and escape.
The suspect, a parolee, had a gunshot wound and was taken to a hospital.