
An 81-year-old man suspected of committing serial vandalism for over a decade was arrested for targeting his neighbors with a slingshot.
The Azusa, California, Police Department heard of a quality of life concern, and an investigation was launched as a result, according to a press release.
According to the police statement, a directed enforcement unit within the department determined after a lengthy investigation that a serial slingshot shooter had attacked scores of homes for nearly a decade.
Slingshots are capable of launching projectiles such as steel shots or ball bearings at velocities of over 200 feet per second. These projectiles have the ability to break through the skull or enter the eye socket, which might lead to irreversible blindness or brain damage. It is common for slingshot blows to cause facial injuries such as lacerations, cracked teeth, and fractured jaws.
In addition to allegedly threatening individuals with ball bearings, the suspect shattered windshields and windows, according to the authorities.
The area where the events took place was searched in early May after a search warrant was obtained. According to the authorities, the individual in question was apprehended and identified as Prince King, a resident of Azusa.
The statement states that during the search of King’s residence, a slingshot and ball bearings were discovered.
After entering a not-guilty plea, King was freed on his own recognizance after several charges of vandalism. No interaction with any claimed victims and a 200-yard buffer zone around affected residences were his orders. A slingshot was among the weapons that had been forbidden to him.
According to his lawyers, he had a heart illness in addition to nerve problems in his back and leg. He was given permission to return home and get his medicine.
However, following his release from prison, King passed away.
The preliminary hearing was supposed to take place on June 17th.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said that King passed away on May 29th in a private house. At this time, they do not know what caused his death.