A woman shot and killed by deputies who were responding to a burglary call in Lake Forest Wednesday morning was holding a gun — and may have herself made the initial call to authorities, according to sheriff’s officials.
The burglary was reported about 1 a.m. in the 22000 block of Loumont Drive, said Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Carrie Braun.
Arriving deputies contacted a woman across the street from the home where the caller reported the burglary.
She appeared to be holding a gun and refused multiple commands to drop the weapon before deputies opened fire, Braun said.
The unidentified woman, described only as an Asian female in her late 20s, was taken to a local hospital where she died, sheriff’s Lt. Chad Taylor said at a news conference Wednesday morning.
Investigators later determined the homeowners at the reported burglary address had never called authorities, and they now believe a cellphone found in possession of the deceased woman was the one used to contact them, according to a Sheriff’s Department statement.
The department said no burglary was attempted and it’s unclear why the woman would falsely report the crime.
A picture of a weapon investigators said was located at the scene was posted on the Sheriff’s Department’s Twitter feed.
The woman’s name has not been released while the coroner’s office works to identify her and notify her family.
No injuries to deputies were reported.