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Subscribe to RSSUpdated at 9:19 p.m. ET: A Lakeside, Calif. man confronted about alleged child porn opened fire inside his apartment, shooting and injuring two deputies before shooting himself, according to the man’s girlfriend.
The girlfriend told NBC San Diego that she was getting her two daughters ready for school when she found pornographic pictures of her boyfriend and her two daughters engaged in sex acts on his cell phone. The suspect has been identified as Daniel Robert Witczak, 30.
The woman headed to the sheriff’s office, showed them the photos and called the suspect on a deputy-tapped phone line to confront him.
Her boyfriend told her that he planned to sell the photos for $50,000 to a child porn site.
The couple had been dating a year, the woman said, who added that her boyfriend was unemployed. She said he planned to support them with the money he would have made with the photos.
Read full coverage at NBCSanDiego.com
Deputies, including a child abuse detective, entered the apartment complex to confront the suspect while the woman and her daughters waited outside. The woman said that after the deputies stormed the apartment, her boyfriend shot the two deputies with a high-powered rifle and then shot himself.
Both deputies were transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital, KPBS.org reported. Lt. Duncan Fraser of the sheriff's office said at a press conference that both men were in surgery.
One patient arriving to a Sharp Memorial Hospital was shirtless on the first gurney coming out of the Lakeside Fire District paramedics van. That ambulance was followed by another carrying a victim covered by medical cloth.
The suspect was transported to Scripps Mercy Hospital, according to a hospital source. His former employer told NBC News that he had been employed as a mechanic but was fired after a week because he was unreliable.
The shooting occurred at Ashwood and Mapleview streets just south of the Lakeside Rodeo Grounds, said Lt. Mike Munsey of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
Resident Jodi Davis, who lives across the street from where the shooting occurred, said she heard between 12 and 18 shots.
“Multiple shots, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang,” Davis said. “I said, 'Oh my gosh -- those are gunshots!'"
She said the police ordered her and her neighbors back into their apartments.
Nearby El Capitan High School went into lockdown; students were dismissed at 1:20 p.m.
NBC San Diego reporters at the scene said officers responded from agencies throughout San Diego County.
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That's the first question I had as some of the other Bloggers have questioned/stated. What was going on in the Deputies thinking, to handle the situation like they did and get the results they got. Did they have their upper management leaders sign off on this type of action(s) they took?
Wow, sounded like amateur hour to me.
I believe I would of called him on the phone and asked him to come out unhealed.
Then you can do a Bam-Bam on his frig'n head.
Or maybe after getting the phone call, he might of just smoked himself inside of his crib and then the matter is over for good. Then you would of saved tons of money (hospital, courts, lawyer, prison, disability insurance for the injured deputies, etc.).
Frig'n left coast...
Mom really picked a winner for a boyfriend.. let's hope he died and will save the CA courts the trouble of a trial and his release.. after all , it is CA.
Awww!! You don't want Big Bubba to get hold of him and reward him for what he did to those children first? I think he would be very disappointed if this scumbag dies.
Well, at least now he won't be around to continue abusing those children, and hopefully their mother gets them some help.
I just hope that if the children do go to therapy that they are not branded "victims".....I think people who experience abuse should be empowered with a SURVIVOR mentality, that way they can overcome it, and stand tall.
Well said. It also stops the cycle of abuse.
Hopefully, but statistics will prove these girls will feel damaged for life and their actions will show it as they are growing up, praying not but most likely. I am wondering where their father is, if he is even involved.
Statistics show that those damaged are because Mom didn't believe her kids or she knew and didn't do anything. This does not appear to be the case here.
Some duche bag (independant in sd) said...I can tell you for sure is that area is a Bastion of the Teaparty Faithful...OK WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Now go to the prisons and take a poll and see who fills our prisons a-hole, dems or repub's, go do the math. Now lets use liberal logic since your all smarter than everybody else (even though you still don't see europe crumbling under regressive policies) This guy was a victim, people dont shoot people, guns do, right libs, dont spin you own it. So see, according to smart libtards, the gun should be in jail and let the press write a story about how we can blame the nra on this. Thanks for the latest example of forward thinking! Remember kids, liberals hate personal responsibility, they dont even want you to exercise your freedom to choose a large soda cup. ALL HAIL BIG GOVERNMENT, SAVE US FROM OURSELVES, liberals repeat, .....
That's why you don't shack up with the first swinging d*ck that comes along, ladies! I hope he did a good job and offed himself!
Got agree with that one.
I like my space, and don't give it up easily.
Ever hear the phrase "U-Haul lesbian"? The young ones do that; after the second date someone's moving in with someone. LOL Crazy
I digress, I don't blame this mother for the actions of her boyfriend but if I had two daughters I would be hyper vigilant about who they were alone with. We don't know all of the details though. MAybe they were together for years. Yikes
Now you see!... THAT'S the way to do it child porn freaks. You folks are now getting it! Only now we have to work on the shoot everyone else before I shoot myself aspect here.
I want all child sex predators to follow this guys lead only all you have to do is pop one in your head first and then feel free to go out on a shooting rampage. Make sure you put it right between the eyes... you gutless bottom feeding losers...
Not surprised he would kill himself. I'm sure he knows how he'd be treated in jail for committing those crimes. A fate worse than death.
I'm at a loss here. Please tell me that the officers had a brain-fart and it is not this departments policy to take civilians, especially victimized children, into harms way. If they had the photographs of the guy abusing the kids, and presumably they taped the call between the pedophile and the mom where he confessed, why didn't they just go and arrest him. Why take the kids to confront him. Isn't that what an investigation and Trial are for. What benefit is there in subjecting the kids to further contact with their abuser.
I know right! There is so much effed up with this story. Something is missing. WTF were the police thinking?
if you read other stories about this it says the mother and daughters went back to the apartment complex to stay with friends while the cops confronted the boyfriend. this story was poorly written. makes it sound like the cops took them to confont the boyfriend....typical MSNBC
I just had to deal with the traffic caused by this a-hole. Lakeside and Santee are nothing but rascist Aryan gangs and ignorant freaks like this guy. No wonder nature keeps trying to burn those two Cities with fire storms.
LOL I know the area. Have a glass of vino and unwind.
,,, and stay downwind:)
I was in a good mood and taking a computer I fixed for some senior citizens who live right there. Wow, did I get a surprise awakening! I forgot how rude San Diegians can be at times. Darn! I need a beer!
Both Duties and the sicko are in surgery as of right now. I hope he lives so he gets whats coming to him in prison. And to the drivers going around on Beechtree and Pino, learn to drive and be nice to the Sheriff Volunteers! I seen some nasty behavior because of the road closure.
Why a single mother with 2 daughters would live with an unemployed boyfriend and leave them alone with him is beyond me. Either clueless or desperate!
Maybe she had to go to work? He may have been a logical choice to watch the kids because he was available. Unfortunately for the children there is no way to tell a pedophile until he acts. It's not like they wear a scarlet P on their forehead.
Paul-
Unfortunately, there are so many sick men who want to have sex with children these days that you just can't leave your girls with the boyfriend. That's the reality. She was a single Mom (not married) and very likely has subsidized childcare available to her.
This is where the tactic of shoot on sight should come into play. You already have photographic evidence and a confession. If they took him alive or he survives we get to possibly waste taxpayer money on a trial and subject those little girls to even more trauma of having to recount what he did to them on who knows how many occasions, or he takes a plea deal and gets a punishment that many normal humans don't feel fits this type of crime. He's a disgusting waste of flesh that messed up the lives of those little girls (and maybe other children too) and I hope he dies painfully from his wound. And if he doesn't maybe someone should do those little girls, the cops, his EX-girlfriend, and society a favor by finishing the job. I fear for my friends that are single moms or any single mom for that matter, and I hope they put the their children as first priority over any man coming into their life!!!
No! General Population treatment. Tattoo his forehead so the other imates immediately know.
As much as I agree with your shoot on sight attitude, the criminal justice system seems to favor the criminal and not the victim. That means this scumbag will be tried (if he lives) and the girls will be forced to live through the disgusting horror of what he did to them yet again when the defense attorney for this lowlife tries to make it appear that they are the bad people in this equation.
Fortunately, we can still hope that Bubba will pass him around to the others in the cellblock on a regular basis.
I think it was mishandled from the start, she did the right thing by going to the cops. However the cops screwed them selves for jumping the gun, wanting to be the ones to arrest the guy with out any backup. The cops evidently did not ask the most important thing before going there-does he have a weapon ! Then the cops should have had a swat team, by calling him first from the station was a big mistake, they should have called from near by. They gave him time to think of what he was going to do, thats why the cops got shot he was waiting for her in case she brought the cops or some one else. They failed to state if he was dead or wounded,true he needed to die. That is the worst thing any man can do.
Telegraphing ones punch is bad form.
That woman must be crazy for having a "live in boyfriend" with her two teenage daughters.
Where did it say they were "teenage daughters"?
I was just going to asked that as well?
If they shoot the idiot it's excesive force, if he shoots them they should have been more vigilant. Hindsight sure is a nice position to have the luxury of being able to use. This folks is why if we are going to error, we need to error to the men and women putting themselves between us and these animals. The next time a cop shoots an unarmed suspected child molester he should receive a commendation!
Not much to say... just DAMN!... damn......
What I don't understand nor will I ever understand, why women think they need a man in their lifes especially when they have children at home. If she is separated because she just didn't get along with her spouse, then by all means, he should be the only father in those kids and same goes for the fathers. Don't involve another woman in your childrens lifes, they only have one mother. Comfort and companionship will come later, it's all about your kids, I'm pretty sure it has been since the beginning and parents usually think of them first, so why should a divorce or separation change that fact?
We need to teach the guy to shoot better.he could say they had a pen.
I also admire the mom's self control to take it to the police. Let's just say I wouldn't convict her if she had taken another course of action though.
Peds do not wear nametags. Had a uncle who was a ped and got away with it for years. Top man of his community and nobody ever suspected him. Finally was caught and went to jail. Found out he had molested his own step daughter, his niece and others. Background check may not do you any good if he has never been caught.
Rot in HELL scumbag!
Despite the fact that child molestors target single mothers, one must wonder how this woman could fall for the dirty old man in the trench coat so to speak? This unemployed man was not bringing in a paycheck and therefore wouldn't have much to groom the family with except maybe some candy and a pack of cigarettes. Its easy to see why Michael Jackson was able to do his dirty deeds and get away with it. Maybe this predator was the kind of man who could smooth talk women and children regardless of his economic status.
I hope the police are alright. This pervert child molester needs his you know what cut off.
Condolences to the victims and their families.
Ok here is what I think may have happened ... the police drove to the adress to arrest the pervert. The Mother and children probably followed, but, stayed in Mom's car while the arrest was taking place. The story refers to the apt. as his...if she was also on the lease, or had established it as her residence she could give permission for a warrantless search. If she was taking her girls to the hospital, her Mother's, a friend's or a hotel...I'm sure she needed clothes and maybe medicine out of his apt. The cops would probably allow her to remove some things but, only in their presence (in case the apt. has evidence of further sick acts) also...50,000? Sounds like he had a buyer lined up. Probably some good evidence on a computer.
did the suspect die after shooting himself?
Yes, that seems to be what's reported locally.