Man Shot For Stealing Gas

From Los Angeles:

Los Angeles police say a Sunland man has shot to death a thief who was stealing gasoline from his car.

Police spokesman Richard French says Tuesday the man told investigators he heard noises outside his Sunland house Monday morning. He got a handgun, went outside and saw the man stealing gas from his car.

The homeowner says he ordered the man to leave and shot him when he refused.

The man, identified as 54-year-old Edward McMahon of Tujunga, died at the scene from a single shot to the chest.

French says the shooting remains under investigation. The homeowner hasn’t been charged with any crime.

There’s no word on whether soaring gas prices played any role in the confrontation.

Of course they did. That's kind of a dumb way to end the article.

Way back during the gas crisis of the early 70's a lowlife neighbor was caught siphoning gas out of my Dad's car.  The cops were called by another neighbor who witnessed the crime, but we didn't shoot the thief.

I'm afraid the Sunland homeowner is going to end up charged in this shooting unless he can show some kind of evidence that he felt his life was threatened by the gas thief.  Of course, a sympathetic jury could still let him go.