A 17-year-old boy was arrested Monday night on suspicion of committing several firearm offences including assault with a deadly weapon and possessing a gun that had no serial number.
The alleged gunman was arrested in Newhall Monday night after firing a bullet into the ground and then allegedly pointing the gun at another man.
The incident initially happened about 10:30 p.m. on Avenida Rondel near Via Tanara, about a block west of Old Orchard Park and Old Orchard Elementary School.
“We had a gunman running around with a gun in Newhall,” Lt. Doug Mohrhoff of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station told The Signal Tuesday morning.
“He fired a shot into the ground and pointed the gun at the victim,” Mohrhoff said.
The suspect was described as a male wearing a red shirt, black pants and a black baseball hat.
“On July 31, 2017, late Monday night, deputies responded to Avenida Rotella and Lyons Avenue regarding a person with a gun and an assault with a deadly weapon,” sheriff’s spokeswoman Shirley Miller said.
“A male victim was walking a dog and heard ‘pops’ that he thought were firecrackers,” she said. “He saw the suspect near a tree and confronted him to let him know the ‘firecrackers’ were scaring his dog.
“The suspect allegedly produced a handgun and aimed it at the victim,” Miller said. “The victim backed away from the suspect and reported hearing a final shot after he left the immediate area.”
The victim told The Signal he was sitting a curb with his girlfriend and her dog when he heard what sounded like firecrackers.
“He set off a firecracker right behind us,” he said. “I told him ‘Could you please stop setting off firecrackers.’ Then he pulls out a gun and points it at me.
“It was pointed at my neck and his finger was on the trigger,” he said.
Deputies located the suspect near Lyons Avenue and recovered a loaded handgun that was in the suspect’s possession, Miller said.
A 17-year-old boy who lives in Newhall was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, receiving stolen properly, negligent discharge of a firearm, and possession of a Firearm with obliterated serial number.
The teen was booked at SCV Sheriff’s Station and then taken to Sylmar Juvenile Hall where he is awaiting a court appearance.
No one was shot or reported to have been hurt in the incident.
661-287-5527
on Twitter @jamesarthurholt
