Shasta Lake man throws brick at dad, 67, arrested with stolen rifle
CITY OF SHASTA LAKE — A sheriff’s K-9 was instrumental in apprehending a man who officials allege threw a brick at his elderly father during an argument, before fleeing the home with a stolen rifle early yesterday evening, Tuesday, May 7. The victim was uninjured on the brick attack and the alleged suspect was later booked into jail on several felony charges related to the incident.
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Deputies assigned to City of Shasta Lake Sheriff’s Station were sent to a home in the 3000 block of Virginia Ave. about 5:45 p.m., after receiving reports of a possible assault and brandishing of a firearm, Shasta County Sheriff Sgt. Caleb MacGregor later reported.
“The caller, 67-year-old Greg Rodriguez, reported his son, 34-year-old Richard Rodriguez, threw a brick at him during a verbal altercation,” MacGregor explained. “When Greg advised Richard he was calling law enforcement, Richard retrieved a rifle and fled the residence on foot.”
Richard Rodriguez, 34, was arrested after allegedly throwing a brick at his 67-year-old father and then fleeing the residence with a stolen rifle. SCSO booking photo
Although the senior Rodriguez was uninjured during the violent altercation, based on the circumstances, multiple deputies, including a K-9 unit, and a CHP Helicopter responded to the area to attempt to locate the younger Rodriguez.
Early on during the subsequent search, K-9 “Thor” located Rodriguez’ discarded and hidden rifle in the backyard of a neighboring residence where he had been last seen. “A records check of the rifle revealed it was stolen,” said MacGregor.
As their search continued, a concerned citizen flagged down a deputy and reported seeing a subject matching Rodriguez’s description about a mile away, in the area of Twin View Blvd. and Crooked Oak Ln.
Based on the new information, K-9 Thor and his handler began tracking the suspect.
After an “extensive search,” Thor located Rodriguez hiding near a residence on Twin View Blvd., where he was taken into custody without further incident.
After he was apprehended, Rodriguez was booked into Shasta County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, and possession of stolen property, according to the Sgt.
Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Shasta County Sheriff’s City of Shasta Lake Patrol Station at (530) 245-6096. Callers can refer to incident file number 19S016974 and can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta 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. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s 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.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.