BURGLARY SUSPECT WOUNDED : PISTOL-WHIPPED VICTIM RETRIEVES RIFLE, SHOOTS.

Byline: Mary Schubert Daily News Staff Writer

A burglar who sheriff's officials said held up and pistol-whipped a man on Saturday was arrested after the resident retrieved a rifle and shot the alleged robber, officials said.

The suspect, Hermilo Talamante, 23, of Val Verde was hospitalized in guarded condition, authorities said.

The name and address of the victim was withheld out of concern for his safety, said Lt. Carl Deeley of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Santa Clarita Valley station.

According to authorities, the victim returned home about 4:15 p.m. to find an unfamiliar car parked in his driveway, and a window in his house open. Upon entering his home, the man was confronted by Talamante, who was pointing the resident's own .38-caliber revolver at him, Deeley said.

Talamante ``ordered the victim to his knees and then pistol-whipped (him) across the back of his head, which knocked the victim to the floor,'' Deeley said.

The robber grabbed the wallet out of the victim's pants pocket, ran from the house and jumped into his car, loaded with property he had stolen from the residence, authorities said.

But Talamante couldn't back out of the driveway because the victim had parked behind him, Deeley said.

As Talamante tried to ram the victim's car out of the way, the resident came outside - pointing a .22-caliber rifle at the man and ordering him to stop. When Talamante raised his handgun, the resident fired three or four shots, Deeley said.

Although he was struck in the neck and chest, Talamante was still able to drive away, Deeley said.

Deputies later found the man - along with his car, the victim's revolver and property - at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital. A passer-by also called the sheriff's department after seeing Talamante dumping some of the resident's property on a roadside, Deeley said.

The victim was treated at the same hospital for head trauma and then released.