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The serial sling shooter of California: Man, 81, is arrested for terrorizing his neighbors for a DECADE
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13:28 BST 29 May 2024, updated 14:39 BST 29 May 2024By Dominic Yeatman For Dailymail.Com
- Prince Raymond King is jailed after police found weapons in raid on his house
- Dozens of victims were targeted during the nearly ten-year hunt for the culprit
Prince Raymond King was found with a slingshot and ball bearings when police executed a search warrant on his $640,000 home in leafy West Crescent Drive in Azusa on Thursday.
Dozens of his neighbors had found their cars, windows and properties targeted by a man police referred to as a 'serial slingshot shooter'.
'We're not aware of any kind of motive other than just malicious mischief,' said Lt Jake Bushey of the Azusa Police Department.
'It's been ongoing for many years because we just didn't identify who the suspect was.'
- Prince King, 81, was taken from LA Central Jail to Citrus Municipal Court on Tuesday to face felony and misdemeanor charges of vandalism
Some victims found BB-sized holes in their properties and others had whole windows shattered.
Neighbors who had given up hope of an end to the torment were delighted to see police department's Directed Enforcement Unit swoop on the elderly man's home.
'I've actually seen him shoot the slingshot before,' one told NBC News.
'He's never shot at us or anything but a lot of neighbors, I couldn't believe that he was arrested by a SWAT team and stuff yesterday, it was pretty crazy.'
'Many times I would come outside and I would find like little BBs on the ground by my front door,' said another, 'so I'm very glad that the person was caught.'
- Dozens of potentially lethal ball bearings were recovered in the raid on his home
Police said the attacks originated mainly from the garage area of King's home
- Residents plagued for a decade by a slingshot hoodlum in the leafy LA suburb of Azusa were shocked to see police raid the home of their elderly neighbor
But they said most of the shots were fired from King's garage and another location in the neighborhood.
'DEU conducted a lengthy investigation and learned that during the course of nine to ten years, dozens of citizens were being victimized by a serial slingshot shooter,' they wrote.
'The unknown suspect broke windows, windshields and almost stuck people with ball bearings.
'Today, DEU investigators served a search warrant in the neighborhood where the incidents were occurring.
'Ultimately, suspect Prince King of Azusa was arrested. During the search, ball bearings and a slingshot were recovered from his residence.'
Residents told NBC they had suspected for years who was menacing their neighborhood
- Some feared they had fallen victim in the decade-long wave of attacks
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'They broke the back window of my husband's car, probably the same guy,' wrote Lupe Lopez in response to the police's Facebook post.
'His dirty hobby cost us $700!'
King, was taken from Los Angeles Central Jail to Citrus Municipal Court on Tuesday where he was charged with felony and misdemeanor counts of vandalism.
He was released on his own cognizance but barred from going within 200 yards of his own home except to pick up medications, and has been banned from possessing any weapons - including slingshots.
He is due back in court on June 17 for a preliminary hearing.
