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Man Hallucinated, Ranted About Zombies Before Homeowner Shot Him To Death
Photo by Peggy Archer via LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
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A man who was fatally shot after allegedly breaking into an Orange County home was hallucinating and ranting about zombies earlier, authorities said.
The Orange County Sheriff's Department identified the man as 22-year-old Paul Michael Bracamontes of Fullerton. The incident started around 3:15 a.m. on Sunday when a Yorba Linda couple woke up to the sound of screaming in their backyard, City News Service reports. The husband confronted Bracamontes, yelling at him while his wife called 9-1-1. Bracamontes continued to shout and threatened the homeowners and then broke into their home, shattering a sliding glass door, authorities said.
The husband shot Bracamontes, according to the Orange County Register (subscription-only). The couple had their baby at home at the time of the incident, the husband said.
Bracamontes' relatives told detectives he had been hallucinating at a party Saturday night and had made a few comments about zombies. He also said he wanted a gun before leaving the party, the Register reports.
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The couple told authorities they didn't know Bracamontes and had never seen him before. Court records show that Bracamontes was charged with public intoxication in January 2013, but the case was dismissed in April.
Results of toxicology tests will reveal whether Bracamontes was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the shooting, but they will not be available for eight to 12 weeks, authorities said.
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