AZUSA, Calif. — Neighbors of the 81-year-old man accused of being a “serial slingshot shooter” who terrorized his neighborhood for a decade by firing ball bearings through windows and windshields were left shocked and in disbelief by his arrest, before his sudden death Wednesday became known.
Prince King, who lived in Azusa, died of heart disease at a private residence, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office said on its website Thursday.
King's neighbors in Azusa, a small city 26 miles east of Los Angeles at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, were surprised that the old man they knew as "Wick" had been arrested.
“He’s always nice,” Veronica Jonasson, who lived next door to King, said in an interview.
Jonasson said that she works from home and that King would frequently declare “break time!” and come over to chat. She said that he would bring treats for her dog and that they never had any problems.
“I’m honestly surprised,” Jonasson said. “I never thought he’d be terrorizing the neighborhood like that.”
Jonasson said she and her sister-in-law called King “Gran Torino” because, like the character played by Clint Eastwood in the 2008 movie, he had white hair, became a widower years ago and lived alone.
King was arrested on May 23, capping a long-running quality-of-life investigation by Azusa police into a spate of vandalism on North Enid Avenue. Nobody was hurt, but police were stymied for years.
“It’s been ongoing for many years because we just didn’t identify who the suspect was,” Police Lt. Jake Bushey said after King was arrested, according to The Orange County Register.
A search of King's two-bedroom home led to the discovery of a slingshot and ball bearings, which resulted in his arrest.
King was charged with seven counts of vandalism, five of them felony vandalism, and two misdemeanors, according to court records. He was released from the Los Angeles County Jail without bail Tuesday, records show, and given a June 17 return court date.
Bushey said King didn't pick his targets at random. But they still don't know why he is believed to have targeted his neighbors.
“We’re not aware of any kind of motive other than just malicious mischief,” Bushey said.
In 2017, court records show, King was taken to court by a woman to settle a property dispute after his father died. The woman and King were named as joint tenants, and an agreement was reached whereby King paid the woman for her interest, records show. Neither the woman nor her lawyer responded to calls for comment.
Jonasson said that she didn't recall ever seeing King with a slingshot but that she did see him with a BB gun on his porch.
“I asked him one time, ‘What are you shooting at?’ He told me it was coyotes,” she said.
It’s not a far-fetched explanation. Coyotes aren't uncommon in Azusa, population about 50,000, which calls itself “The Canyon City” because of its location at the entrance of the San Gabriel Canyon in the mountains of the same name.
But since King's arrest, his neighbors have been poring over the Azusa Police Department’s Instagram and Facebook posts and wondering whether he was responsible for damaging their windshields and windows.
“Most of us did not believe it was him — even as they were arresting him,” said Chris, a neighbor who declined to give his last name.
“Even now it’s still settling in," he said. "We’re still like, ‘No, maybe it was something else.' Most of us are neighborly.”
Still, Chris said, he has had windows shot out and sometimes heard what sounded like things being struck after he got home from work. He recalled seeing a camera on King's garage that appeared to be pointing directly at his home.
Other neighbors said they frequently found BBs on the ground and in their driveways.
“Many times I came outside, and I would find little BBs on the ground by my front door, so I’m very glad the person was caught,” resident Monica Palomino told NBC Los Angeles after the arrest was announced.
Attempts to reach relatives who could speak on King’s behalf weren't successful.
The court had ordered King to stay 200 yards away from several locations in Azusa, including the 900 block of North Enid Avenue where he lived, according to court records.
King had been charged with breaking windows at six houses, as well as a car windshield and a garage window, according to a criminal complaint.
He pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations at a court appearance Tuesday, records show. His public defender didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said the case will be dismissed upon confirmation of his death.
Blue tape that bore the name of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office sealed the doors of his home Wednesday.
Before he died, someone had placed a sign in his yard that said, "Stay Away Wick!"
Chris said he can't fathom why King would have targeted his neighbors.
“That’s the thing,” he said. “There wasn’t a clear distinct moment or vibe like he had it in for us.”
Phil Helsel reported from Azusa, Calif, and Corky Siemaszko from New York City.
