Long Beach burglar shot, killed by resident

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- An alleged burglar was shot and killed by a Long Beach resident Sunday, police said. It's the second incident of its kind in weeks.

Long Beach police officers responded to a burglary in progress call in the 2800 block of East 3rd Street around 2:24 a.m.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found the burglary suspect deceased inside the home. He was identified as Ryan Mitchell Anderson, 29, of Long Beach.

The couple that lives in the residence was not injured.

Neighbor Dina Milonas says she heard what she thought were firecrackers early Sunday morning.

"I heard three shots, which I thought were firecrackers, but they were shots," Milonas said.

She then heard her neighbor screaming, "Help me, help me."

"That's when I went into panic mode, and then I saw all of Long Beach Police Department from one corner to the other, and I knew something was wrong," Milonas said.

This is the second home invasion robbery in three weeks that ended with the homeowner shooting and killing the alleged burglar.

Thomas Greer, 80, who was beaten by two suspects a few weeks ago, was able to get his gun and shoot while the suspects were still inside his house. They fled and he followed them outside, killing the female suspect. She was identified as 28-year-old Andrea Miller.

Greer told police that he shot the suspects in self-defense.

Neighbors say the home on East 3rd Street had been burglarized in the past. They also reported an increase of car break-ins and burglaries in the Bluff Park neighborhood.

In this case, police say it remains unknown whether it was the female or the male resident who fired the shot that killed the suspect. The investigation is ongoing. Homicide investigators were at the scene Sunday.