Woman shot in face and her daughter held at gunpoint in Palmdale home-invasion attack

A woman was shot in the face and her young daughter held at gunpoint after a man broke into their Palmdale home Sunday night, authorities said.

The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Erin Mauldin, and the woman appear to have been strangers, according to the preliminary investigation, but deputies are still looking into what prompted the late-night violent attack, said Lt. George Zamora of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies were called to the 1100 block East of Avenue R at 10:27 p.m. Sunday about a woman being held at gunpoint.

Investigators believe the suspect forced his way into the home. The two were in a physical struggle when the woman was able to get a handgun. The suspect, however, was able to then take the semiautomatic gun from the woman, Zamora said.

"She was overpowered," he said, "and the suspect shot her."

The man then took the woman's daughter at gunpoint just before he was confronted by deputies in the home. The man was walking backward, holding the girl, but surrendered soon after deputies arrived.

"As soon as he saw the deputies, he gave up and tossed the firearm," Zamora said.

The child, whose age was not immediately known, was not injured. Her mother was taken to a nearby hospital and is recovering, he said. She was in stable condition as of Tuesday.

Mauldin was booked on a bail of more than $1 million, Zamora said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.