An elderly California man accused of terrorizing his neighbors with a slingshot for nearly a decade passed away shortly after being arrested and appearing in court.
Prince Raymond King, 81, was discovered deceased inside a home in Azusa, Calif. at 7:30 a.m., as reported by the Los Angeles Daily News.
The identity of the home’s owner where King was found is still unknown, but Azusa police Sgt. Nick Covarrubias confirmed that there was no indication of foul play.
King’s cause of death was arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a natural condition that affects the heart’s arteries, according to the local medical examiner’s office.
The elderly man, with grey hair, made his way into West Covina Superior Court for his arraignment on Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty.
King, who wore glasses, was accused of using his slingshot to launch metal ball bearings at his neighbors’ homes and vehicles over the span of nine years, according to ABC 7.
He faced five counts of felony vandalism and two counts of misdemeanor vandalism for allegedly targeting his neighbors’ property with the slingshot, causing damage to numerous house windows and car windshields using the small hand-powered projectile weapon.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged King with vandalism incidents from October 2021 to May 2024, as reported by the Los Angeles Daily News.
However, neighbors claimed that King’s slingshot attacks date back to 2015.
Police identified King as the source of the ball bearings during their investigation and arrested him on May 23.
During the arrest, authorities found the slingshot and 10 to 40 ball bearings in his possession, as confirmed by Cpl. Benjamin Cypher.
Following his court appearance on Tuesday, the slingshot vandal was released from custody after his attorneys argued that he suffered from various medical conditions.
However, he was ordered not to return to his Azusa home, located approximately 25 miles outside Downtown Los Angeles, though he was permitted to retrieve medications.
King was also instructed to stay at least 200 yards away from the homes he allegedly targeted, avoid contact with any of the victims, and refrain from possessing any deadly weapons, including his signature slingshot.
“We’ve been here since 2018. (It’s been) ongoing all that time,” one of King’s neighbors and alleged victims, James Mead, shared with LA Daily News following King’s arrest.
“To me, it seems to be a really good neighborhood, except for windows being broken,” Mead added.
He was scheduled to appear in court again on June 17 for his preliminary hearing.
