STANTON, CA – A violent confrontation in a normally quiet Stanton neighborhood led to a rideshare driver shooting a nude assailant in self-defense on Sunday night, according to witnesses and law enforcement.
The incident unfolded shortly before 8 p.m. in the 7000 block of Custer Way. Witnesses reported seeing a man, later identified as the suspect, violently assaulting a woman. One neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous, described the horrifying scene, stating he saw the man “beating on a woman” through his window. The suspect then turned his aggression towards a rideshare driver’s vehicle, punching the car while completely nude.
Another neighbor, Daiio Egas, recounted hearing people arguing before the gunshots. “I thought it was maybe kids running around, but then it sounded like grown-ups yelling … and then we heard two shots,” Egas said.
According to video footage from the scene, an SUV with its passenger door and hatch open was surrounded by evidence markers. The rideshare driver, who had arrived to drop off a passenger, witnessed the suspect stripping naked and assaulting the woman. When the suspect began attacking the driver’s car, the driver fired a warning shot. Despite this, the suspect continued his aggressive behavior, leading the driver to fire a second shot in self-defense.
Authorities confirmed that the rideshare driver called 911 immediately following the incident. The female victim received treatment at the scene for her injuries, while the suspect was transported to a local hospital in critical but stable condition.
The driver remained at the scene, cooperated with investigators, and was subsequently released. However, Uber has since suspended the driver’s access to the app. In a statement, Uber expressed concern over the incident: “The reported details are frightening…We take reports of this nature seriously. We’ve removed the driver’s access to the app while we look into this incident further.”
This incident highlights the dangers of firing warning shots, a practice generally discouraged due to the potential for unintended consequences. The rideshare driver’s quick decision to defend himself and others ultimately prevented further harm.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department continues to investigate the incident. The community remains shaken by the violence that disrupted their normally peaceful neighborhood.
