Resident Disarms, Shoots Burglar He Pushed Into Pool

A homeowner trained in self-defense took matters, and a home intruder's gun, into his own hands early Friday when he disarmed one of the burglars and shot the assailant after pushing him into a backyard pool.

The resident encountered the burglars, who slipped through a sliding-glass door, after he heard noises at his Santa Ana home in the 2600 block of Manley Avenue, according to police.

"He asked me where the valuables were, where the money was at," said Erickson Dumaual, 42. "I told them I didn't have anything."

A second intruder, who was not armed, entered the home and began looking through drawers, Dumaual said. When the gunman was distracted, Dumaual, trained in the martial art of Krav Maga, made his moved.

"The gunman turned his head, I went for the gun," said Dumaual. "I pistol whipped him a few times, but he amount of force I put on his head, oh my God, he was still going. Still fighting. I couldn't believe it."

The unarmed intruder fled, but Dumaual's struggle with the gunman went on for 10 minutes from his bedroom to the patio and, eventually, the backyard pool.

"While he was trying to run, I pushed him into the pool," said Dumaual. "When he was in the pool, I had the gun on him and told him to stay in the pool."

But the 19-year-old intruder climbed out of the pool and was shot by the Dumaual, according to police. Dumaual said he was not shooting to kill, but only to injure the attacker, who suffered a gunshot wound to the leg.