A 62-year-old retiree has been arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, namely a firearm, in connection with a shooting Thursday characterized by investigators as an “ongoing neighbor dispute.”
John Joseph Cahill, of Castaic, was arrested by deputies of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station about 6:15 p.m. Thursday, arrest papers show.
He was placed in the custody of the sheriff’s jail with bail set at $1.05 million.
“This appears to be an ongoing neighbor dispute,” Lt. Ignacio Somoano of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station told The Signal Friday.
“After the incident, we secured the area, searched the house, gathered evidence and those facts will be turned over to the DA Monday,” he said, referring to prosecutors with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Cahill is scheduled to appear in San Fernando Superior Court on Tuesday.
Deputies were dispatched to a house on Delwood Street, off of San Martinez Road, after receiving reports from the alleged gunman about the incident, Sgt. Janice Banks of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station told The Signal Thursday afternoon.
“Deputies are looking into what prompted this altercation,” Lt. Bryan Aguilera of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station said shortly after the suspect was arrested.
Asked about the condition of the man who was shot, Aguilera said: “We have no word on his condition.”
Cahill is alleged to have shot his neighbor in Val Verde shortly before 4:45 p.m., sending him to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital with a gunshot wound and prompting deputies to secure an area around his rural home on the edge of Castaic and Val Verde.
The gunshot victim was taken to the hospital in a silver-colored Hyundai from Val Verde, east on Highway 126 to the southbound lanes of Interstate 5.
Deputies responding to Val Verde where the gunman was waiting for them, arrived at the house about 5 p.m.
Shortly after 5:05 p.m. deputies told the suspected gunman to get on his knees, after which the man was taken into custody.
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