Man shot by South Gate police after residents report intruders in backyard

SOUTH GATE, Calif. (KABC) -- A man was shot by police after residents in a South Gate neighborhood reported three armed strangers in their backyard. A search was underway for two other suspects.

The residents reported the incident around 11:30 p.m. Sunday from the 5200 block of Katella Road. They told investigators they confronted the suspects and a struggle ensued.

One of the suspects fell into the residents' pool, while the other two jumped over a wall and fled the scene on foot. The residents told authorities they did not know the men, who were all armed with guns.

When the last suspect managed to get out of the pool, he was confronted by officers at the front yard of the home. That's when the officer-involved shooting took place.

Police said the residents are no longer cooperating with investigators, who will now have to serve a search warrant at the home.

Lt. John Corina with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said after the suspect was shot, he tried to make a run for it. Officers found him hiding under a car parked in a nearby driveway.

The suspect, described as a man in his 30s, was transported to an area hospital, where he underwent surgery and was reported in stable condition.

Investigators said they don't know what the suspects were doing or intended on doing when they were found in the backyard of that home. Two guns were recovered from the scene.

The two suspects who fled were only described as men in their 20s.

Police established a one-block perimeter to search for the suspects for hours, but it was broken down after investigators were not able to locate the men.

Officers went door-to-door and used K-9 support to search for the suspects, but they believed the two were no longer in the area.