LA County sheriff’s deputy shoots pipe-wielding woman in Covina

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a woman suspected of vandalism in Covina Saturday after attacking the officer’s vehicle with a pipe wrench, according to the sheriff’s department.

Around 10:00 a.m., deputies were sent to the intersection of Cypress Street and Vincent Avenue, where a woman was allegedly vandalizing cars, according to a department press release. When MPs arrived, they found a woman, believed to be in her 20s or 30s, carrying a pipe wrench.

The woman approached the deputies’ cruiser and smashed the rear window with the wrench.

The suspect then charged at one of the deputies, who opened fire, according to the department.

The suspect was shot and taken to a hospital, where she was in critical condition.

A spokesman for the sheriff’s department could not immediately say if the deputy was in or out of the vehicle when he fired.

The department’s homicide squad has opened an investigation into the shooting.

Authorities are encouraging anyone with information about the incident to call Homicide at (323) 890-5500.