Press Release Mono County Sheriff
During the early morning hours of December 22, 2020, the Mono County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of multiple armed burglaries in the White Mountain Estates Area.
The suspect was caught on a home security camera.
Burglary at White Mountain Estates in Chalfant area.
If you recognize the suspect or have home security footage that could aid in identifying the individual, please contact the Mono County Sheriff Office by calling 760-932-7549, ext 7.
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David, in your hypothetical, in which you observed the Suspect creeping around your house with a firearm, I would make that 9-1-1 call first, and while awaiting arrival of help, I would consider taking an armed defensive position inside my dwelling. Then and only IF the invading Perp busts the door or window in an attempt to enter, and before help arrived, putting me in actual fear of losing my life, California law would allow me to fire in self defense to repel the forceful armed intrusion. The fear component would be both actual and reasonable, since the Suspect was seen with a firearm. I would also yell “Halt” before firing, and I would want to be able to report that to investigators subsequently. That plus having made the 9-1-1 call first, and staying inside the house, plus observing the Suspect with a firearm, would be useful in later establishing that the shooting was righteous.
A POST certified Level II Reserve has all the training of a regular officer, and has the power of arrest. A local Reserve could probably quickly dress and get around in his or her community, sooner than a full-time deputy could arrive from Independence or where ever.
It is extremely difficult in remote parts of a rural county for a deputy to be able to respond to a call of a crime against property. It is frequently just too far from the deputy’s location. Encouraging the use of video cameras is helpful, and sooner or later, a plate number or facial photograph will be the result. Then the deputies of the property crimes unit can investigate. It is too risky to empower private citizens as de facto deputies, they don’t have the training. But if there might be a POST qualified Reserve Officer living in the area, that person should contact the sheriff’s department to see if he or she could be deputized as a Grade II Reserve Deputy with limited duty– local patrol and response. That would help.
Thomas
Again,I don’t want to come across as a tough guy,tough talker,but if I were to see this guy creeping around my yard and nearing my house on security camera with a semi-automatic rifle late night,I don’t like my chances if I have to rely on a 9-1-1 call to Law Enforcement some 15 miles away,or ,as you state,wait on a Grade ll Reserve Officer to first,get the call from the 9-1-1 dispatcher,then probably him or her having to get out of bed,arm themselves,and then show up,without back-up to my home.
In some cases,it seems you might have to deal with a problem yourself,and this might be one of them.
Burglary,and as you state,a possible property crime,this guy carrying the semi-auto weapon makes it much more than that, IMO.
More like he’s ready to carry out a crime whether someone is home or not.
Think what I would do,since I don’t have a cell phone or smart phone to carry around with me,I would keep my eyes on that security camera to whats going on outside of my home,get to my old landline phone to make a 9-1-1 call if I could safely do it,and if I could, while I’m waiting on Law Enforcement to show up,listen real hard for a door opening up or a window being broken.
And going from there.
Mr. O’Brian, I wonder whether the officers with CHP of MLPD who live in the White Mtn. Estates would agree with your description of their community
Probably not…, but I said nothing about White Mountain Estates . How are you privvy to where law enforcement officers live ?
Geez…Chalfant has become the armpit of the Eastern Sierra. It looks like they have reached the need for a resident Deputy like Benton has , or maybe train some of the qualified residents as reserve deputies. The regular patrol deputies are just too far away to respond to “in progress” calls all the way out there .
Rick O’Brien
Or a better idea,IMO,inform the residents in Chalfant and other areas and towns it seems that are being hit lately with burglaries of their rights and what they can do on their own if they happen to see or are confronted by a burglar.
Especially if the burglar is seen on security cam and has a semi automatic weapon with them.
I’m an old,skinny guy,far from a tough talker,but if I happened to see a late night armed trespasser on my property making his way nearer to my home,it wouldn’t be a time I’d hide in my closet making a 9-1-1 call waiting on Law Enforcement or a “trained qualified resident” to arrive ,hoping quickly,to come save the day.
Prancing around at night on someone else’s property, in a mask and hoody, carrying a firearm, is good way to end up full holes.
From what I hear,the same kind of thing happening in Lone Pine this past week….don’t know if the guy is armed or not,but has been caught on security camera in a hoddie stealing chain saws out of a truck,another time into a yard and shed stealing and taking things….