A Lucerne Valley man who broke his neck chasing burglary suspects on his all-terrain vehicle has died, and authorities said the suspects could be charged with homicide if they’re apprehended.

John Douglas Hoard, 68, saw two unknown suspects allegedly attempting to rob his neighbor April 3 on Highway 18 in the area o f L i n co l n Avenue.

H o a r d ‘s wife, Kathleen Hoard, said her husband was keeping an eye on the neighbor’s property, as it had been burglarized several times in the past.

“”He saw them and got on the ATV and went after them,”” Kathleen Hoard said.

John Hoard crashed the ATV in the desert, and the suspects escaped. Hoard suffered a broken neck and was airlifted to a trauma center.

Hoard was in rehab at Loma Linda Medical Center when doctors discovered that he had an epidural hematoma, a type of traumatic brain injury. Hoard suffered brain death and was placed on full life support April 18, Kathleen Hoard said. She said his son and daughter made the decision to take him off life support last Friday.

According to his w i fe, Ho a rd l e ave s behind three children, four stepchildren, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

S a n B e r n a rd i n o County Sheriff ‘s Sgt. Steve Harbottle said Monday that there’s a possibility the suspects could be charged with homicide if they’re caught, but the decision would be up to the district attorney.