A central Phoenix homeowner took matters into his own hands when a suspected intruder, later identified as 34-year-old Juan Mendez, attempted to enter his home early Saturday morning. According to ABC15, the Phoenix Police Department responded to a shooting call around 4 a.m. near 7th and Van Buren streets. The homeowner reported that he had shot a man in his yard after an alleged assault.
The situation escalated when the homeowner confronted Mendez. Following the altercation, Mendez fled, but Phoenix police managed to apprehend him soon after setting up a perimeter. He was hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries. A separate account of the incident from AZFamily reveals that the homeowner, undisclosed for privacy, encountered Mendez as he tried to forcefully make his way into the homeowner's residence, “Never seen him in my life that’s why it shocked me more because I’m like who are you? Like what are you doing at my house, you know, trying to break into my doors?” he expressed.
Described as a self-defense incident, the homeowner, who was up attending to his one-year-old son, grabbed a loaded gun when he heard his dogs barking, signifying a possible threat. Mendez and the homeowner engaged in a physical struggle before Mendez was shot twice in the leg. "When he seen me with my gun in my hand, he started attacking me and we both were fighting," the homeowner revealed in his statement obtained from the AZFamily interview.
Despite the violent confrontation, Mendez managed to escape over a fence, only to be detained shortly afterward by the police. While he later received medical attention for his wounds, "Mostly I was scared for him because I didn’t want nobody to die," said the homeowner. In the investigation, the homeowner's actions seem to be justified as self-defense, with no charges expected to be filed against him. Details concerning Mendez's motive remain unclear at the moment.
