The McClelland offspring were born in Santa Maria before the family moved to Sacramento in 1969. The house was 25 years old and was located at 815 South McClelland Street. Pictured is the house which burned down some years after we moved (circa 1968).

Steve says: I might as well add this classic pic of the house that we spent most of our childhood in at 15 Haven Court in Sacramento. I always had dreams of buying that house as an adult and living there again. Then I went by one day on my bike and heard that freeway 20 yards out the backyard. How did we ever tolerate that noise? Finally, last year there was a murder there and that pretty much ended any notions I might have had of living there again.

I have so many fond memories either way: My secret tunnel from my room upstairs, though the crawl-space and into the garage. The fact that I could break into that house through literally every single window. The stone pillars acted like ladders to climb up onto the roof. I put a private doorbell in just for my upstairs room. I always loved that back yard. It was almost exactly 100 feet across, and perfect for the all-day soccer games we played. I remember playing badminton with Dan until we had mastered the sport.

The Haven Court House in 2009-sans stone pillars

And on a sadder note, here’s the story from sacramentoCBSlocal.com:

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Bullets flew during a deadly home invasion robbery as a homeowner traded shots with several suspects.
A suspect was caught and cuffed in connection with the deadly home invasion robbery. Police say the homeowner was rushed to the hospital after trading shots with several suspects and killing one of them.

“I thought someone was banging real hard on my garage door,” neighbor Pat Markofer said. That banging would be bullets hitting her home and truck as a shootout took place on her normally quiet pocket area street.

“I heard yelling and screaming at the same time, and I heard more shots,” she said. Police say around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, armed suspects burst into a home on Haven Court, trying to rob those inside. Instead, one of the homeowners would grab a gun, and after an exchange of gunfire, the homeowner and two suspects would be wounded, while another suspect was shot dead.

“There was a young man, he’s just dead, just gone,” said Markofer. That man would collapse and die right in front of Markofer’s home.

Some neighbors are still fearful to show their face on camera. “There’s a dozen kids in this court, easy. So that’s what’s scary,” said one neighbor. In fact, neighbors tell CBS13 there were children inside the home at the time of the robbery.

“My goodness, his children, they had to wait until daylight to take him out of the court,” said Markofer. For Markofer, it’s a depressing scenario that played out before in a time of year that’s supposed to be jolly.

“It was just awful for everyone. There’s no positive thing for this at all,” she said.
Police will not say exactly what those suspects wanted from inside the home, and whether or not the home was picked at random or was targeted.

And from the story published at kcra.com: SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —Sacramento police are investigating a home invasion robbery on Haven Court that left one intruder dead and three others injured on Saturday.

Police have arrested Thomas Ordonaz, 21. He is charged with assault with a deadly weapon and accessory after the fact.

The incident happened at 3:30 a.m. in the Pocket neighborhood.

Investigators said during the course of the robbery, gunfire was exchanged and total of four people were shot.

Police confirmed one man, who was an intruder, died at the scene; three others were transported to the hospital and are expected to be OK.

At this time, Sacramento police will not release the identity of the shooter or victims.

Several frantic parents showed up to the crime scene to find the street shut down for the investigation.

One man who did not want to be identified said his 12-year-old had spent the night at the house and was there when the shooting took place. He was waiting to pick him up.

A woman came by to pick up a 1-year-old boy in the home. She didn’t want to give KCRA 3 her name, but said the boy’s dad was shot in the home and taken to the hospital.

Police told KCRA 3 several children were inside the house when the home invasion happened. It appears there may have been a slumber party or sleepover.

Police said this investigation is ongoing.