Tenant Is Held in Shooting of Burbank Apartment Manager

A drunk tenant shot a Burbank apartment manager Wednesday during an early morning argument over an illegal electricity hookup, Burbank police said.

Matt Vierra, 31, was seriously wounded by a bullet in the abdomen during a 2 a.m. dispute with Keates Contreras, 35, about an extension cord Contreras reportedly used to supply his apartment with electricity, Sgt. Don Goldberg said.

The electricity at Contreras’ apartment in the 700 block of East San Jose Avenue was disconnected July 23 because he did not pay his bills, said Larry Wagenbach of Burbank’s Public Service Department. Since then, he apparently had been using an extension cord to route electricity from an outdoor outlet.

Vierra discovered the connection about 2 a.m. Wednesday and cut the line. As he walked back up the driveway to his apartment, Vierra was confronted by Contreras and the two began arguing, Goldberg said.

Goldberg said Contreras had been drinking and had a blood-alcohol level of 0.30%, nearly four times the 0.08% at which a person is considered legally drunk.

Contreras pulled a sawed-off rifle from his jacket and fired a single round at Vierra, Goldberg said. Contreras then got into his car and tried to drive away, but crashed into a parked car about half a block away, Goldberg said.

Contreras was being held without bail Wednesday on suspicion of attempted murder. Vierra was taken to County-USC Medical Center, where he was in serious condition after undergoing surgery, Goldberg said.