A home invader shot by a Castaic homeowner in 2017 pleaded no contest to charges stemming from the botched burglary as part of a plea deal and will be sentenced next year, according to court officials.

Johnny Velasquez, a Northridge resident, pleaded no contest – treated as a guilty plea – to vandalism over $400 in damage and a misdemeanor charge for trespassing by entry or occupying.

In return for the no contest plea, prosecutors agreed to drop the original charge of first degree burglary with a person present.

Velasquez pleaded on May 23, 2018 and will receive his sentence May 23, 2019, exactly a year later.

Around 2 a.m. on June 26, 2017, a woman noticed Velasquez trying to force entry into her home on the 36000 block of Ridge Route Road. Once he forced his way inside, the woman fled her house and then called 911 to report the break in, sheriff’s officials said at the time.

But after making the call, she saw Velasquez leave her home.

Thinking she was safe, the woman returned to the house and barricaded the front door. Velasquez then broke into the home a second time using a rear entrance, according to officials.

This time around, however, the woman armed herself with a handgun. After a short confrontation with Velasquez, the homeowner fired her gun, hitting him in the chest.

The homeowner declined to comment when reached by phone shortly after the incident, but confirmed the operation of her nearby business, Castaic Canine Camp, was unaffected by the shooting.

Neighbors in the remote canyon, who did not wish to give their names, said they were not surprised the homeowner got the upper hand, saying sheriff’s deputies response times to their neighborhood were not as quick as other areas, and residents are prepared for anything that could happen in that time.

Velasquez was released from the hospital July 13, 2017 and was taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies.

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