An armed private security guard has been arrested after shooting an 88-year-old woman in her own home in Encino on New Year’s Eve, according to officials.
The specific circumstances around the incident — including whether the guard was responding to an alarm at the residence — were not immediately released by the Los Angeles Police Department or the guard’s employer, ACS Security, a Los Angeles-based armed-response private security company.
The woman was shot once in the torso at her home on Encino Avenue around 8:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve by an ACS Security guard who was patrolling alone, according to police and the security company. The woman was taken to a hospital, and officials could provide no information on her condition.
The private security guard was arrested by police on suspicion of negligent discharge of a firearm, though he has not yet been charged by the district attorney. The LAPD did not immediately release the suspect’s name. ACS Security declined to provide the name of the guard.
“On December 31, 2023, one of our clients in the Los Angeles area was shot. This occurred after one of our employees responded to the client’s home. Our hearts go out to the client and the client’s family. We have launched an investigation into this matter and are cooperating with law enforcement authorities,” the company said in a statement.
The company did not immediately answer questions on whether an alarm went off at the woman’s home or whether there was an intruder on the property.
The shooting occurred in an upscale neighborhood in Encino, in the San Fernando Valley. Nearly all the homes on the block are protected by large steel or wooden gates.
The house where the shooting took place is one of the few in the area that does not have a gate; an ACS Security sign is displayed in the frontyard. Many other neighbors also have armed-security signs.
Despite the shooting, a few neighbors said they still would continue to pay for private security, which patrols the streets.
“I think the fact that the area is hopefully patrolled makes it a little better,” said a nearby resident who identified himself as Norman and declined to give a last name. “We constantly hear about burglaries.”
An armed private security guard has been arrested after shooting an 88-year-old woman in her own home in Encino on New Year’s Eve, according to officials.
The specific circumstances around the incident — including whether the guard was responding to an alarm at the residence — were not immediately released by the Los Angeles Police Department or the guard’s employer, ACS Security, a Los Angeles-based armed-response private security company.
The woman was shot once in the torso at her home on Encino Avenue around 8:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve by an ACS Security guard who was patrolling alone, according to police and the security company. The woman was taken to a hospital, and officials could provide no information on her condition.
The private security guard was arrested by police on suspicion of negligent discharge of a firearm, though he has not yet been charged by the district attorney. The LAPD did not immediately release the suspect’s name. ACS Security declined to provide the name of the guard.
“On December 31, 2023, one of our clients in the Los Angeles area was shot. This occurred after one of our employees responded to the client’s home. Our hearts go out to the client and the client’s family. We have launched an investigation into this matter and are cooperating with law enforcement authorities,” the company said in a statement.
The company did not immediately answer questions on whether an alarm went off at the woman’s home or whether there was an intruder on the property.
The shooting occurred in an upscale neighborhood in Encino, in the San Fernando Valley. Nearly all the homes on the block are protected by large steel or wooden gates.
The house where the shooting took place is one of the few in the area that does not have a gate; an ACS Security sign is displayed in the frontyard. Many other neighbors also have armed-security signs.
Despite the shooting, a few neighbors said they still would continue to pay for private security, which patrols the streets.
“I think the fact that the area is hopefully patrolled makes it a little better,” said a nearby resident who identified himself as Norman and declined to give a last name. “We constantly hear about burglaries.”