The Region - News from April 1, 1985

An off-duty police officer thwarted a burglary in the Ladera Heights area and fired his gun in a struggle with the suspect, who escaped. Officer Don Baker, a three-year veteran of the Harbor Division, was inside his Flores Avenue home when he saw a man attempting to break into a neighbor’s garage, Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Adams said. Baker “took his service revolver, went outside and identified himself and ordered the suspect to freeze,” Adams said. The man ignored Baker’s command and ran to a car in an alley and attempted to start it. Baker pursued him to the car and tried to take the keys from the ignition. “The suspect grabbed at the revolver and a struggle ensued,” Adams said. During the fight, Baker fired one round and regained control of the revolver. “The round definitely went inside the vehicle,” Adams said. “We don’t know if the suspect was wounded.” The would-be burglar fled in the car.