A 911 call early Tuesday turned deadly before police could be dispatched as a Banashee Circle man became Orangeburg County's fifth homicide of 2003.

Sheriff Larry Williams said Cesar Vazquoz Rivera, 24, of 260 Banashee Circle, Orangeburg, was found shot to death in his home Tuesday morning. He had been shot repeatedly.

"Preliminary indications are that he had been shot with a .38 caliber or 9 mm handgun multiple times in the upper torso," Williams said. "There were no indications of forced entry. It is our opinion that the victim was familiar with his assailant."

Around 12:50 a.m., a woman in the home dialed 911 after being awakened by the victim arguing with what sounded like another man. The woman was in another room, but heard an unfamiliar voice saying, "Yo!" repeatedly, according to the incident report.

"Sometime around 1 a.m., a relative of the victim woke up after hearing the victim and an unknown individual in the house having a dispute," Williams said. "At that point, when she heard the individuals having a dispute, she called 911."

The OCSO report indicates deputies arrived within 15 minutes of being dispatched. However, the apparent dispute turned violent before they could arrive.

"While (the woman) was talking to 911, she heard multiple gunshots," Williams said. "She heard an individual leave, but she did not hear if that individual left in a vehicle. She ran into the room where the victim was and found he had been shot multiple times.

"Deputies arrived and secured the scene and identified the victim as a resident of the home."

When authorities entered the home, they found Rivera face down in a pool of blood in the kitchen area, Williams said. Efforts to revive the victim by the Orangeburg County EMS were unsuccessful.

While no motive has been established, investigators are conducting tests on forensic evidence found at the scene. Williams said an autopsy report should be back from Newberry by week's end.

"Our investigators are working with physical evidence from the crime scene," he said. "At this point in time, we're awaiting autopsy results and attempting to develop a motive and identify the shooter."

T&D Staff Writer Richard Walker can be reached by e-mail at rwalker@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5516.

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