An 81-year-old man who had been accused of terrorizing a Southern California neighborhood for years with a slingshot has passed away shortly after his arrest, authorities confirmed. The man was discovered deceased at a residence in Azusa, located east of Los Angeles, with police stating that no signs of foul play were found.
The medical examiner's office determined that the man's cause of death was arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, ruling it as natural. Prior to his demise, the man had been released on his own recognizance after pleading not guilty to multiple counts of felony and misdemeanor vandalism.
The man's arrest on May 23 came following allegations of him breaking windows and car windshields, as well as narrowly missing individuals with ball bearings shot from a slingshot. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in connection with these incidents.
An investigation revealed that over a span of 9-10 years, numerous residents had fallen victim to what was described as a serial slingshot shooter by the Azusa Police Department. During a search of the man's residence, law enforcement officers discovered a slingshot and ball bearings, with detectives noting that most of the ball bearings were fired from the suspect's backyard.
Authorities indicated that the motive behind the man's actions appeared to be solely based on causing mischief, with no other known reasons for his behavior. While suspicions of his involvement in neighborhood vandalism dated back approximately a decade, the LA County District Attorney's Office formally charged him with vandalism spanning from October 2021 to May 2024.
