An 81-year-old Southern California man named Prince King was arrested by the police for being a “serial slingshot shooter” who had been terrorizing his neighbors for about a decade. According to Azusa police, King had been breaking windows and windshields with his slingshot, nearly hitting people in the process. The police served a search warrant at King’s neighborhood and found ball bearings and a slingshot in his home, leading to his arrest. It was reported that most of the ball bearings were coming from King’s backyard or a nearby neighborhood, although a motive for his actions is not clear.
Police began investigating King after the first slingshot incident, but were only able to identify him as the suspect recently. Although they have not identified a specific motive for his actions, they believe it was driven by “malicious mischief.” Lt. Jake Bushey from the Azusa police department stated that the shots were not random, but they are unsure why certain people or properties were targeted by King. Some residents of the neighborhood mentioned that their car windows had been shot out but could not definitively say that King was responsible. King’s next court date is scheduled for Tuesday, and he did not have a listed attorney to comment on the case.
The police described the situation as a “quality of life issue,” as dozens of citizens had reportedly been victimized by King’s slingshot attacks over the years. Inmate records confirmed King’s age of 81, making him an elderly individual engaging in criminal activities. The police emphasized that the slingshot attacks were a serious matter that endangered the safety and property of the neighborhood residents. Despite the ongoing nature of the attacks, it took the police several years to identify King as the suspect responsible for the incidents.
The use of a slingshot as a weapon is unusual in modern crime, and King’s case stands out as a unique and long-term criminal activity. Police found evidence of the slingshot attacks in King’s home, indicating that he had been conducting these attacks from his residence or a nearby location. The fact that King’s actions were not random but targeted specific individuals or properties adds a sinister element to the case. The lack of a clear motive beyond “malicious mischief” raises questions about what drove King to engage in such harmful behavior for an extended period of time.
King’s arrest serves as a cautionary tale about the potential dangers posed by individuals engaging in seemingly minor criminal activities. The impact of his actions on the community highlights the importance of law enforcement’s role in identifying and apprehending perpetrators of such crimes. The case also raises concerns about the aging population and the potential for individuals like King to engage in criminal behavior despite their advanced age. Moving forward, the court proceedings against King will shed more light on the circumstances surrounding his long history of slingshot attacks and provide a resolution for the victims affected by his actions.
