SAN LORENZO, Calif. (KRON) — A San Lorenzo homeowner confronted armed suspects attempting to steal his car early Monday morning. He said two gunman opened fire, narrowly missing one of his sleeping daughters.
“So, I got a notification from my cameras and from that, they were right here. There was two gunmen here,” said Joey Hocker. “I came outside, and I got to about right to the first step. That tree saved my life. There’s bullet holes in the leafs. You can see it from here.”
An honorably discharged sergeant with the U.S. Marines, Hocker said he slipped on his front doorsteps, which may have saved his life. He said at least one of the weapons the suspects fired was an AK-47 directed at his head.
Fortunately, they missed, but the bullets penetrated his walls and came close to his wife and two young sleeping daughters.
“One ripped through my daughter’s bedroom and that is dividing my master bedroom and one of the bullets ricocheted all the way through and ricocheted off my crown molding and landed right next to my daughter while she was sleeping.”
Hocker said he went back inside the home when he heard the suspects’ car leave and retrieved his legally owned firearm to protect the hallway in case the suspects attempted to come inside. The car made another pass by the house to pick-up one of the gunmen.
His Dodge Charger was shot up as well as his wife’s car.
The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office is investigating this case, and reminds the public not to confront car thieves because they are often armed.
But Hocker has had enough. He said he had a car stolen just six months ago.
“It isn’t worth dying over a vehicle, but at the same time, we should be able to protect our property and the California law should let us protect our property,” Hocker said. “They shouldn’t be for the criminals.”
So far, no arrests have been announced.
