Woman shoots man as he allegedly tries to break into Aptos home

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office says 25-year-old Damien Welch is facing residential burglary and prowling charges after being released from the hospital.

The Sheriff’s Office says that during the overnight hours of June 20, Welch was shot several times while trying to break into a home on Cedar Street in Aptos. They say he used a rock to smash the window of a side door to get inside.

The woman inside the home had a handgun, and deputies say she shot Welch because she feared for her life. After that, they say Welch tried to find another way inside. The woman called 911 and went to her upstairs bedroom. Welch allegedly climbed onto the roof leading to the bedroom where the woman shot him again.

When deputies arrived, they found Welch and the roof and took him to a Bay Area hospital. He was released late last week.