TAMPA – A homeowner shot dead an intruder who forced his way into
the man’s Northwest
Tampa home early Saturday morning.
Detectives are searching for a second man, an apparent accomplice, who
fled the scene.

Ramon Lopez, of 3909 W. Crawford St., shot and killed a man who entered
his home just before 1 a.m. Lopez hasn’t been charged, and the dead man
had not been identified as of Saturday afternoon. The case remains under
investigation, said Lt. Harold Winsett, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s
Office spokesman.

The police related this version of events, based on statements from
witnesses.

About 12:50 a.m., Lopez and three or four guests had finished watching a
movie at his home, Winsett said. After the guests walked out and began
walking toward their vehicles, two masked men entered Lopez’s fenced
yard.

The guests didn’t see where the two men came from.

The men, armed with handguns, advanced toward the house and forced the
guests to stand under the carport.

Lopez was inside the house. He heard the commotion, went into a bedroom
and grabbed two handguns.

As Lopez walked out of the bedroom, one of the armed intruders entered
the house. The intruder saw Lopez and approached him with a gun. Lopez
shot the man several times without the intruder returning fire, Winsett
said.

The other gunman, who was wearing a pink bandanna over his face, ran
from the scene. He had stayed in the yard while the first man entered
Lopez’s home.

Police said they didn’t know whether the second gunman got into a
vehicle and drove off or whether he fled on foot. Detectives have no
description of the at-large gunman.

Police don’t know what the gunmen’s motives were, Winsett said. It also
isn’t clear whether Lopez knew the intruders before this incident,
Winsett said.

Police confirmed they recovered a handgun from Lopez’s house that
apparently belonged to the the dead man.

Lopez and the guests were unharmed.

Lopez, 30, wasn’t available for comment Saturday.

Records show Lopez has a concealed weapons permit.

A neighbor in the area, a working-class neighborhood just west of Dale
Mabry Highway, said Lopez is a hard worker. Several years ago, Lopez
moved into a corner lot in the neighborhood and has improved the home,
the neighbor said.