Saturday, June 16, 2007



California driver who struck home was looking for his wife: "The man who shot and killed a driver who moments earlier intentionally rammed a car through his North Des Moines Road home late Wednesday feared for his life and may have acted in self-defense, a San Joaquin County sheriff's official said. Detectives believe that the driver, Ravi Batuk Vora, 39, of Burbank, was in a rage and was convinced his wife was hiding inside the Acampo resident's house before smashing his car through the home at about 9 p.m., Deputy Les Garcia, a sheriff's spokesman, said Thursday. But Vora already had been exhibiting bizarre behavior before his confrontation with the homeowner, Garcia said. As Vora searched for his wife, he saw a person arriving at a house in the 21000 block of North Des Moines Road and pulled his car up to the home, Garcia said. Vora confronted the homeowner and claimed his wife was inside. Vora left the man's house and returned three times to argue with the homeowner, Garcia said. As Vora stood outside, banging on the door and yelling, the homeowner grabbed a gun and called 911. Vora then returned to his car, drove away, and moments later slammed his car through the front entrance of the house, Garcia said. A dog inside the home was struck by the car and killed, Garcia said. Inside the house, Vora got out of his car and "advanced toward" the homeowner, who fired one shot and struck Vora in the upper body, Garcia said. Vora died at the scene.



Montana woman shooter gets no jail time: "A North Fork woman who shot her husband to death will serve no jail time. In a deal worked out between County Attorney Ed Corrigan and defense attorneys Patrick Sherlock and Sean Hinchey, District Court Judge Kitty Curtis sentenced Rebecca Braunig-Haag to a 10-year suspended sentence with 10 years probation Thursday. Originally charged with deliberate homicide, she pleaded “no contest” to an amended charge of negligent homicide in April. “She does have a claim for self-defense,” Corrigan said. “She, quite frankly, is unlikely to incur a further criminal history. I do believe the conviction for negligent homicide holds her accountable.” In a statement to the judge, Braunig-Haag said she was sorry and that she loved her husband. “I was so scared I picked up the gun to keep him from killing us,” she said. “More than anything, I didn’t want to shoot him.” Braunig-Haag was 51 at the time she shot her husband, Von Stanley Haag, 60, in the chest with a .44 caliber Magnum. She told investigators he had threatened to burn down their home if she didn’t accompany him on a trip to Texas to attend his father’s funeral. The Nov. 7, 2005, argument over whether or not to attend the funeral escalated to the point where Braunig-Haag said she feared her husband would burn the house down. He threatened her and poured gasoline throughout the house, she told police. That’s when she shot him and called neighbors for help, reports said."


California man shot in home invasion try is arrested: "Sheriff's deputies arrested a man shot by a woman late Wednesday after he allegedly entered her house in a botched home invasion, officials said. Authorities said Andrice Robinson, 21, of Fontana, is being treated in custody after being shot several times in the abdomen. He and one or two accomplices allegedly walked into a home in the 400 block of Charro Court at about 9 p.m. looking for drugs. "The victims had never seen them before," said sheriff's Sgt. Charles Jurcak. "They probably picked the wrong house." Jurcak said the men "entered the location, confronted the husband and demanded to know where the pot was." When the middle-aged couple told the suspects they didn't know anything about marijuana, the invaders began to beat them, he said. While the men beat her husband, authorities said the wife went for the couple's gun hidden in the bedroom. When Robinson confronted her in the hallway of the home, Jurcak said, "she fired the weapon several times, striking him in the body." The suspects fled, but the wounded man was found by deputies nearby, lying on the ground. Authorities said the incident is still under investigation and they are still seeking the other suspects, described only as African-American males."

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