An 81-year-old man who authorities said had been causing fear in a Southern California neighborhood for years with a slingshot has passed away shortly after being arrested, officials confirmed.
The man was discovered deceased on Wednesday evening at a residence in Azusa, located east of Los Angeles, according to police Sgt. Nick Covarrubias.
“We didn’t find any signs of foul play,” stated Mr. Covarrubias to the Southern California News Group.
The medical examiner’s office determined that the man died from arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, ruling his death as natural.
Earlier that week, the man had been released on his own recognizance after entering a plea of not guilty to multiple counts of felony vandalism and misdemeanor vandalism.
Law enforcement officials said the man was taken into custody on May 23 on suspicion of damaging windows and car windshields, as well as narrowly avoiding hitting individuals with ball bearings fired from a slingshot. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
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After conducting an investigation, detectives revealed that over the span of 9-10 years, numerous individuals in the community had been targeted by a serial slingshot shooter, as stated by the Azusa Police Department in a recent announcement.
During the execution of a search warrant, authorities discovered a slingshot and ball bearings at the man’s residence in Azusa.
Azusa police Lt. Jake Bushey mentioned that most of the ball bearings were fired from the suspect’s backyard.
“We’re not aware of any motive other than engaging in malicious mischief,” Mr. Bushey informed the news group.
Although police suspected him of causing damage to windows in the neighborhood for approximately a decade, the LA County District Attorney’s Office formally charged him with vandalism spanning from October 2021 to May 2024.
