A Vietnam War veteran is being revered for saving his neighbor from a naked intruder. The attack, which took place in Los Angeles, ended with the intruder being shot to death by the 79-year-old man. Social media users are now speaking out in support of the veteran, urging that he not be prosecuted for his actions.
The chilling incident unfolded on Friday morning after a naked man forced his way into a Studio City home in California. Mr. Mendoza, the landlord and a retired Army veteran, came to the woman’s rescue after hearing her screams for help.
Naked man speaking in a foreign tongue in Los Angeles on Friday terrorized a community, broke into a home and broke the legs of a Vietnam veteran.
The veteran defended himself and his community by then opening fire on the man, hitting him three times, ending him.
(cbsla on TT) pic.twitter.com/7uoGSgLjjq
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) November 8, 2025
The veteran tried to reason with the man and asked him to leave the scene. However, the situation quickly escalated and turned violent. Warner Castillo, who serves as an LAPD captain, revealed that the veteran had warned the man that he was armed before things took a violent turn.
“He tells the suspect to leave, warns him that he has a gun,” Castillo shared. “The suspect then grabs the 79-year-old man, lifts him up, and throws him to the ground,” the captain added. According to a report by The Free Press Journal, the veteran’s legs were broken upon impact.
“As he’s on the ground, the suspect approaches him and tries to pick him up again,” Castillo said. That’s when the veteran decided to fire three shots. The officer stated that he spoke to the 79-year-old, telling him he was lucky to make it out of the incident without “being in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.”
The aggressor was pronounced dead before emergency responders arrived at the scene. Authorities assessed the situation and labeled it an act of justified self-defense. Netizens rushed to social media in support of the veteran.
“That brave veteran better not be prosecuted for anything. He needs a medal,” one user wrote. “That veteran is a hero, and bless him — I hope he recovers and is given an award for protecting and saving his neighbors. If the police even think of charging him for protecting the neighbors and himself, then they’re just demonic,” another added.
A third wrote that the veteran should not face legal consequences for his act of bravery. “If California prosecutes him, there’s going to be a massive media storm,” they added.
Sad the Vet was injured but glad he was armed and took the action he had to do.
— skiguy (@skiguy14) November 9, 2025
Several MAGA supporters rushed to the comments section to blame Newsom for the state of California. “Good for that vet defending his home. Real courage there. California’s mess under Newsom makes stories like this too common,” a social media user.
“What do you want to bet some Democrat district attorney decides to prosecute the old man for shooting this guy?” another added.
