1 arrested, 2 others sought in Garden Grove home burglary that led to shot fired

A 36-year old Long Beach man was arrested on suspicion of a residential burglary in Garden Grove after neighbors held him down following a confrontation with the homeowner.

During the melee, two other suspects got away in a black Lincoln Navigator SUV with paper plates, police Lt. Carl Whitney said.

Garden Grove police responded at about 11:30 a.m. Friday to the 13800 block of Rosita Place on a report of a fight in progress, during which gunshots were heard.

Officers arrived and saw neighbors holding the suspect, Chantha Van, on the ground. Officers immediately took Van into custody.

During the investigation, officers discovered the fight was related to a residential burglary that had just occurred at a home in the 13800 block of La Bonita Avenue, just west of the location.

Two suspects, including Van, smashed a sliding glass window and ransacked the home, police said. The alarm was set off and the two suspects fled out the back and into the rear of the residence on Rosita Place, Whitney said.

The homeowner, who armed himself with a legally owned handgun, confronted the two suspects and a fight started, during which the gun discharged and the two suspects fled, Whitney said.

Neighbors held Van down, while the other suspect jumped into the SUV, being driven by a third suspect. They fled the neighborhood, Whitney said.

The homeowner believes one of the suspects had been shot, but a general broadcast to local hospitals did not net any gunshot victims, Whitney said.

Van was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries and was admitted for observation for unrelated health issues.

Detectives are looking for the other suspects involved in the crime. The suspect who entered the home with Van is described as an Asian male in his late 20s or early 30s. Police did not have a description of the getaway driver.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Garden Grove Police Department at 714-754-5704. Anonymous tips can be submitted at OCCrimeStoppers.org.