Hollywood Hills homeowner shoots neighbor who entered home and refused to leave: LAPD

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A Hollywood Hills homeowner shot and injured a man who entered their home and refused to leave, police confirmed Tuesday.

The shooting happened just before 11 a.m. on Chelan Place, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Police say a man, identified as a neighbor, vandalized a car and was yelling in the street.

"The neighbor appeared to be undergoing some type of episode, but it's unknown if there's anything prior," said LAPD Ofc. Charles Miller.

The resident of the home confronted the neighbor, first outside then inside. The man forced his way into the other man's home, according to police. Police say the resident of the home told the alleged intruder to leave but he refused. That's when the homeowner opened fire and then called 911. The man who was shot was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

Meanwhile, the homeowner was detained for questioning and released.

Steve Costello told ABC7 he was scheduled to buy a car Tuesday from the person believed to have been shot.

"I text him a few times and he didn't respond. So I drive up here and see the yellow tape," said Costello, who described the scene as shocking.

Costello said he spoke with the victim as recently as 20 minutes before the shooting, and several times in the past 24 hours.

"Sounded disturbed ... like he was going through some kind of emotional stuff. He sounded ... I sensed mental illness," said Costello of the neighbor. "He was really sporadical and really nervous."

Additional details about what led up to the shooting were not known.

"There's no threat to the public," said Miller. "It's not believed to be a robbery or a burglary gone wrong and right now, it's in the hands of detectives."