Boy Shot in Neck; Neighbor Held

A 14-year-old Ventura boy was shot in the neck Wednesday by a 20-year-old man who lived across the street, police said, in what they described as part of long-running feud.

The boy, identified by police as Kevin Natale, was shot with a large caliber handgun about 7:45 p.m., in his house on Dolphin Court in the Ventura Keys neighborhood, police said.

Kevin was taken by ambulance to Ventura County Medical Center, where the boy was listed in serious condition late Wednesday, police said.

“We heard hysterical screaming and someone banged on the door,” said neighbor Marsha Weber. “The girl said, ‘Help me! Help me! My brother’s been shot.’ ”

Weber said she started to cross the street to help but was stopped by police officers with guns drawn who ordered her to go back inside.

“We were responding to shots fired,” said Sgt. Robert Nustad of the Ventura Police Department. “We still had the shooter at large, and we knew that he lived across the street.”

As police searched the area, Kevin’s mother gave her son first aid while waiting for paramedics, a neighbor said. His mother is a registered nurse.

Soon after Kevin was taken from the house by paramedics, the police received a call from the suspect who wanted to turn himself in to authorities.

The suspect, who police identified as Brian Adams, had run down a bike path and made the call a few blocks away at a public phone. Nustad said Adams was arrested at the phone booth without incident.

Police said they are unsure of a specific motive but indicated that they are aware of an ongoing dispute between the neighbors.