Local News in Brief : Man Arrested in Death of Roommate in Llano

A man described as “an old desert rat” was arrested Friday at his home in the Antelope Valley community of Llano on a charge of murder in the death last month of his roommate, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy said.

Ralph Greathouse, 63, was arrested in connection with the June 17 shooting death of Paul Staten, 47, who died after an argument between the two men, Deputy Hal Grant said. Greathouse was being held without bail at the Antelope Valley sheriff’s station.

Greathouse was arrested the day of the shooting, but released the next day because investigators thought that the shooting might have been accidental.

Grant said the Antelope Valley office of the Los Angeles County district attorney decided Friday to pursue murder charges against Greathouse. He was arrested without incident at his home near California 18 and 233rd Street.

A sergeant at the Antelope Valley sheriff’s station described Greathouse as “an old desert rat” who sometimes sat in a rocking chair beside the highway waving at motorists.