UPDATE: COTTONWOOD: More info emerging after shotgun shooting of father & son over property line dispute

COTTONWOOD — As if from a scene from the television series, “Fear Thy Neighbor,” authorities are saying a long-standing dispute between neighbors over a property line led to the double, shotgun shooting of a father and son, Thursday, Sept. 7.

Officials arrested the alleged suspect at the scene of the incident, which happened on Tabitha Court, north of Phyllis and west of Hooker Creek Roads, in the unincorporated community of Cottonwood, in Tehama County.

After an investigation, officials arrested Ervin “Keith” Watts, 59, of Cottonwood. He was later booked into Tehama County Jail in Red Bluff on suspicion of two counts of attempted murder after allegedly shooting both victims with a shotgun.

An online jail records search revealed Watts remains in custody, held on $1 million bail.

Deputies from the Tehama County Sheriff’s Officer responded to Tabitha Court about 4:10 p.m., after Tehama County emergency dispatchers received “multiple reports” of three men involved in an “exchange of gunfire,” Tehama Sheriff’s Lieutenant Dave Greer explained from the scene.

The shooting left a father and son, identified as 38-year-old, Dustin Alan Mingarelli and 69-year-old, John Lenny Mingarelli with gunshot injuries. Both men are Cottonwood residents who live adjacent to Watts.

One the two victims suffered “serious, traumatic injuries” after Watts allegedly shot the victim in the face while he was riding a tractor on or near the disputed property line.

When deputies arrived at the scene they found the father and son suffering from gunshot injuries sustained when Watts allegedly shot the two men with a shotgun. Before the victims were transported to Mercy Medical Center in Redding, they both identified Watts as the man who had shot them both.

The victims told investigating deputies the shooting stemmed from a long-standing dispute over a property line that sits between the three men.

Deputies quickly located Watts at his Tabitha Court residence and he was detained for questioning without incident. Authorities later authored and served a search warrant for Watts’ property, at which time they located and seized a shotgun and ammunition believed to have been used in the double shooting.

During their investigation, officials determined the incident began when Watts – who was armed with a shotgun – confronted and then shot a man riding a tractor in the face. The victim was later identified as the younger Mingarelli. Hearing the commotion and gunfire, the elder Mingarelli came to his son’s aid while armed with a handgun.

Evidence located, documented and recovered from the crime scene indicated the elder Mingarelli and Watts then “exchanges gunfire,” explained Greer.

By Friday afternoon, both victims had been released from Mercy Medical Center.

Anyone with information about this incident or who witnessed the double shooting is encouraged to contact Tehama County Sheriff Deputy C. Parker at (530) 529-7900. Callers can refer to incident file number 108398 and can remain anonymous.

 

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Trevor Montgomery runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook and also writes for Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.