Reader Gary sent me this story.

Lancaster, CA – Los Angeles County Probation Department (LACPD) Deputy Probation Officer II Paula Lind was brutally beaten to death by a homeless man who broke into her home early Sunday morning, according to police.

Investigators said the suspect went to 52-year-old Probation Officer Lind’s residence on Barrymore Avenue and shattered a sliding door to gain entry, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Probation Officer Lind, who generally supervised adult offenders, had been working an overtime shift at a juvenile facility in Sylmar to assist with a staffing shortage over the weekend, according to law enforcement source who wanted to remain anonymous.

She had just returned to her house when the attack occurred shortly after midnight on Sept. 25, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Probation Officer Lind and the unidentified intruder got into a physical altercation before she was ultimately bludgeoned to death, according to investigators.

Prosecutors said the suspect was trying to sexually assault her and that he defiled her remains after murdering her, according to the Los Angeles Times.

This caught my attention:

The alleged killer was discovered at the scene and was arrested.

Police said he was armed with a shotgun at the time of the attack, but that the weapon was not fired, according to the Los Angeles Times.

I do not see a homele…err… Unhaused Person walking around anywhere in L.A. with a shotgun and nobody freaking the hell out. I would even go as far he would not have one for a long time before selling it for the poison of his choice. I am going to guess he found the shotgun inside the house in contradiction to the county’s Gun Storage Law and in contradiction of common sense.  And I cannot shake the idea he used the shotgun as blunt instrument to kill the Deputy.

Lessons learned: 1) If you are not under direct control, secure your weapons. 2) Home is not safe till you are sure you are safe. Never drop your guard the moment you walk inside.