Son, 11, Allegedly Killed Father as Parents Argued

An 11-year-old boy allegedly shot and killed his father as the man “violently” argued with his wife on the Barona Indian Reservation on Friday night, a Sheriff’s Department spokesman said.

The body of Frank A. Banegas, 43, was found about 9:40 p.m. by sheriff’s deputies in the backyard of his home in the 1100 block of Barona Road near Lakeside.

His son, whose name was not released because of his age, was questioned by deputies and released, the spokesman said.

The boy and his mother told investigators that the Banegases had been “involved in a violent fight” when the son picked up the rifle “in an attempt to stop” it. When Banegas began to approach the boy, he fired once, striking his father in the chest, investigators said.

Banegas then apparently ran from the house before collapsing in the backyard.

The sheriff’s homicide division is investigating the shooting and will forward its report to the district attorney’s office, which is common in such cases, a spokesman said.