Alleged backyard burglar charges at homeowner while holding an unknown object, cops say. But homeowner is holding a gun.

California deputies responded just before 6 a.m. Monday to a residence in Taft regarding a reported burglary in progress, officials told KGET-TV. Taft is about 45 minutes southwest of Bakersfield.

RELATED: Robbers break into home, but resident grabs gun and fires at suspects — leaving 1 dead and 1 wounded: Sheriff

  Image source: Kern County (Calif.) Sheriff’s Office

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office told the station that the homeowner confronted an alleged burglar in his backyard in the 300 block of Montview Avenue.

‘We have the right to defend ourselves.’

The alleged burglar — whom investigators later identified as 36-year-old Felix Cortez Villasenor — was said to have charged at the homeowner while holding an unknown object, KGET said.

The homeowner also was holding an object — a gun.

Deputies said the homeowner shot Villasenor, the station reported.

The sheriff’s office said Villasenor was airlifted to Kern Medical and was in the intensive care unit as of Tuesday, KGET said.

He was absentee-booked into the Kern County Jail on suspicion of first-degree burglary — and on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant, the station said.

RELATED: 5 armed thugs force their way into residence, but gun-toting homeowner isn’t about to back down

The sheriff’s office told KGET that investigators will submit the case to the Kern County District Attorney’s Office for review.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact the sheriff’s office at 661-861-3110 or call Secret Witness at 661-322-4040, the station said.

One commenter under KGET’s Facebook post about the incident implored, “Protect everything you own.”

In reaction to the incident, an area gun store owner told Blaze News on the condition of anonymity that “our stance is that we have the right to defend ourselves. If that firearm was registered to him, and he was the owner, and he was in fear for his life, he has every right to defend himself.”

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