A home invasion robbery in Hesperia left one intruder dead after a scuffle with the resident and then another altercation with deputies on Monday, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said.
"I heard all that screaming in the back," Carlos Limon, who lives next door, said.
Early Monday morning, a group of people forced its way into a home in the 8800 block of 11th Avenue where four adults and three children lived.
One of the intruders was the resident's former son-in-law, and he had a knife, authorities said.
A man living at the home went after the relative with a baseball bat. A fight broke out between the two and when deputies arrived, all of the intruders fled.
The former son-in-law also fled, and was found a short time later hiding under a car in a neighbor's yard.
"I saw like a dark shadow running down toward the field," Maria Cardenas, who lives in a neighboring home, said.
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When deputies pulled the man out from under the car, some type of altercation broke out between he and deputies.
Officials would only say it was a "use of force" incident.
After he was taken into custody, he was transported to the hospital where he later died.
Investigators were working to determine how the man died, and if his death was due to injuries from the baseball bat, or if he suffered injuries during the use of force incident with deputies.
Deputies said it was unclear how many people initially broke into the home. Police were searching for at least one intruder who got away.
