Homeowner shoots man trying to break into his car

A Visalia homeowner wounded the man who was allegedly trying to break into his car, police said.

The shooting happened shortly before 4 a.m. Tuesday when the suspect, 37-year-old Nicholas Wilkerson, was caught breaking into a car parked in the driveway of a home on Oakridge Avenue in the northeast part of the city.

Witnesses told police that the homeowner, who was armed with a gun, confronted the suspect. The confrontation escalated and the homeowner fired his weapon, hitting Wilkerson once.

Wilkerson was taken to Kaweah Delta Medical Center for treatment of a non-life-threatening injury.

The incident is being investigated by the Violent Crimes Unit. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Henry Martinez at 559-713-4156.

This story was originally published January 2, 2018 at 3:35 PM with the headline "Homeowner shoots man trying to break into his car."