The case for a Canyon Country man arrested after an hourslong standoff Feb. 1 at his home is heading back to court for another hearing date March 29.
Carl Pruett, 65, remains in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles after his court appearance Wednesday, which resulted in a continuance.
He awaits a preliminary hearing on three charges: assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer, criminal threats and grand theft — for stealing an iPhone in an unrelated incident.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges at a preliminary arraignment Feb 5.
On Feb. 1, Pruett left his home in the 27400 block of Plumwood Avenue in Canyon Country, across the street from Canyon Springs Community Elementary School, holding a black-handled machete fitted with a rusted 24-inch metal blade, per court documents obtained by The Signal.
Deputies ordered the suspect to put the machete down and tried to detain him at gunpoint, according to the court records.
A probable-cause sworn statement by Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies accuses Pruett of leaving his home and walking toward deputies while “screaming incoherently and waving the machete at deputies while ignoring orders to stop.”
The criminal complaint against Pruett also lists the following “circumstances in aggravation” as separate allegations, namely a Rules of Court violation that accuses Pruett of using a weapon at the times of the offenses and that he has previously served time for a violation that included a diversionary sentence.
The criminal complaint against Pruett also mentions a 2017 conviction from an assault charge connected to a standoff that happened at the same Plumwood Avenue residence in 2016.
At a preliminary hearing, the evidence against him is presented to a judge who will decide if there’s enough to hold the suspect to answer to the charges.
