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Rio Linda Man Arrested For Killing Alleged Burglar

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Steven Zinda

Steven Zinda

RIO LINDA, Calif. (CBS13) — A homeowner was arrested Sunday afternoon after allegedly killing a man who he believed had robbed his home, authorities said.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department said 29-year-old Steven Zinda fatally wounded a man after chasing him away from his home on the 7200 block of 2nd Street just after 4:30 a.m.

Zinda called authorities and led deputies to the wounded man, who was pronounced dead at the scene due to trauma to his head and upper body.

In statements to investigators, Zinda said he returned home early Sunday morning and saw someone running away from his home. A short time later, Zinda said he spotted a male subject near his home and confronted him with a weapon.

The man ran away, and Zinda chased him to a field nearly a quarter mile away and attacked him with the weapon, killing him, authorities said. Investigators recovered the suspected weapon in the attack.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department said detectives haven’t found any link between the victim and the burglary. It’s likely, although not conclusive, that Zinda killed the man because he mistakenly believed he was involved in the earlier crime.

Zinda was arrested on murder charges and is being held without bail.

The nature of the weapon recovered at the scene has not been released. The identity of the victim has not been released.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to contact the Sheriff’s department at (916) 874-5115.

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  • Juana Segoviano

    damn this is all bad I didn’t know that guy but it wasn’t fair for him to do that and the guy that got killed was my brother::: we never expected this and is the worse feeling ever::::: and i feel more bad for my mom how she is this guy should be punish for life he was our only brother

    • bayborne

      I barely knew David, but I know Rena. I pray for your family’s and Rena’s healings. I can’t imagine how your Mom is feeling. Good-Luck to your family and do not allow any negativity affect your healing. Now is the time to concentrate on things that will help you heal and improve your life. Please do not allow the Haters to feed on your misery or turn to self destructive behavior. Make a positive change within yourself and let that be the reason that the loss of David’s life has a meaning. Please… If any of you can make one positive change in your life… then David left this Earth with a reason and meaning. That is how he can live through any of you.

    • teresa scott

      I don’t no any of u, but my heart goes out to your family….

  • http://botd.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/top-posts-1787/ Top Posts — WordPress.com

    [...] Rio Linda Man Arrested For Killing Alleged Burglar RIO LINDA, Calif. (CBS13) — A homeowner was arrested Sunday afternoon after allegedly killing a man who he believed [...] [...]

  • ryan

    i know steven also he wasent a tweek. and certainlly not a axe murderer . i think its a nightmare that came true for both families. sorry to see it happen

    • john

      He certainly is an ax murder now.

  • Mona

    Its a very sad situation for all involved, but all the ignorant people who have decided to jump to conclusions and bash David’s name, let me ask you, WHAT IF IT WAS YOUR FAMILY? Are you robots with no feelings? Do you not realize that an innocent man’s life was taken away from his mother and sisters, and maybe just maybe they are reading all this garbage and all you are doing is basically what his murderer has done BREAK THEIR HEARTS! You all open your mouths when, if it was you dealing with this hurt and loss this kinda of talk would crush your heart. Now for the man who did this, rather he’s a tweaker or if it’s because of the car accident he was capable of raising his son so why he would claim the crazy card is OUTRAGEOUS he knew the difference from right and wrong and he chose wrong and not only hurt David’s family but his own son too, does he deserve to spend the rest of his life in prison THAT’S ASOLUTLEY CORRECT, David will never get to kiss his mother goodnight and never see his sister off to school again or be there at family functions, Steven made the wrong decision and he should pay atleast half of what David’s family has left, with the rest of his natural life behind bars, David’s family have nothing at least Steven will be able to breath and eat and see his son when he comes to visit him, David will never be able to have children and get married. The family is hurt enough rather you agree with me or not it is a very sad situation. And his family maybe reading this have some respect and some self diginity refrain from further bashing this young man’s name. R.I.P. David you will be forever missed.

    • John

      Please stop the sob story. He was stupid. I would not go out in the street with an ax and let the first person i suspected have it. Furthermore, the man was running “away”. Get it? Call the cops. He murdered an innocent person due to his hot head. Stop making excuses for stupidity.

  • utterly amazed

    you cannot leave yourhome and chase a kid thru knee deep mud 1/4mi.. Hi him several times while hes beggin and scared senseless and dumbfounded with no reaction time..and claim defense. He keept that axe hung by the door he did to do drugs and alotof people with head i juries do…idc if he had an injury tiss kid davidwas a good kid a friend brother son and well liked..this other gguy may have friends and family who never thot he’d go this far but they had more of a headsup than david did and they are just lucky it wasnt a child or one of them…all sympathy is for this scared kid totally thinnking being stuck in the mud was the worst part of the nite and storm… This guy neds to go awayfor as long as possible..idc this is where i livee my kids have been stck in that same dark ditch ..and hung out two doorss away thanking god they are alive.. R.i.p david valdezz Od bless your om and your girl..friends sisters and soul..xoxo

    • babye

      thank you for having some sense he was a good friend all he wanted was help thats all he was asking for he would never do something so scandles he really was a good dude he was my boyfriends friend in high school and we seen him when he graduated he was ready to make a life and go to college we would of never of thought his life would of ended like this so we let him .RIP now…

  • utterly amazed

    and to the guy who said steven was a tseeker.and he wasnt an axe murderer well dudee he is..and tweeking means aranoia..u aint scared and run out of our house lock ur door all a cop.he totally wanted to hurt someeone and uur lucky i wassnt u standing there waiting for help young kid with no idea he would be running for his life..its sad people always say hes so quie a good uy he nver ..they said that about jeffrey dahmer..said it about petersen..puente…ted bundy..so believe it anyone can be someone else you dont know people have secre tots secretlivesand itsalways behind closed doorsthe truth comes out..domestic violence come on he was a timebomb ..kids never be alone on a dark rd at4a.m. Lock yourself in car and cal 911 or your parents.. Xoxox

  • utterly amazed

    ryan he is an axe murderer and he also was paranoid….and ttweeeking..noone knows anone so much except hose in his home and he wass violent.and all the people tryin o badmouth he womann who had him arrested shame on you..shess alive cuz she got out.. Poor david so oblivviouus to the insanity tha awaited hi..God bless he and his family..and God bless seveens kids and mother too..sadness everwhere..if a friend or familymemebers threatening suicide or violene ifu truly love thheem seek help..dont talk about it later ya had no idea..becuz tthe signs are always there.

  • ryan

    so did you do some crank with steven ?and thats why you say he was a tweek?because i know him and his family .he wasent a tweek once again. yes he should of never killed david and theres no excuse for that . but just because steven lives in rio linda it doesent make him a tweek . what would u do if u came home and found people in your house ? you gona bend over and let them take your ass to ? some times people snap when they get messed with . anyway its a really bad situation for both families

    • R.I.P. DAVID VALDEZ!

      yeaa butt in this case DAVID wasnt in his house! he wass acrross the st from his house not even infront of his house nd yet he goes to murder him!

  • Angela

    so, the man is “stuck” outside, all decked out in red, at 4:30 am on the streets of Rio Linda….. and totally innocent? ok….. anyways, i dont really care what you people WHO DONT KNOW STEVEN say anymore, your words mean nothing to the people that truly know steven, and we will see just what happens. They will find out all the FACTS

  • Ron Gotsoul Stephens

    @Angela: I tend to think he might have been tweeking, that he must have considered a material posession more valuable than another human beings life?

  • northsacgirl

    wow, rio lindians, what the h—- is REALLY going on out there….come on folks, it really, really, is bad to kill, whether tweekin, triooin, whatever….about 90% of the people I know would be dead, if I got tired of being messed with….again wow…god bless the one who died, period..

  • Bob

    Asking the right questions and getting answers.

    What would make a home owner react in such a way as to kill a suspected burglar?

    Has the home owner been the victim of a near death traffic accident in the past that resulted in severe and long term traumatic brain injury?

    What kind of behavior results from this injury? Is the home owner subject to impulsive behavior especially in highly charged situations? Can the behavior be controlled in such situations? In regard to Steven Zinda these might be the right questions to ask.

    • ramphan

      the only proper question for an ax murder is ” do you prefer an old or new rope? .

  • Patti Johnson

    JUSTICE ON ANTHOR THUG

  • http://benkuro.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/news/ News « Benkuro’s Way
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