Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Man Charged With Double Slaying : Violence: Investigators say William Strong of Acton was upset because his dog was shot to death. But they’re not certain if that was the motive.

A 39-year-old Acton man was charged Tuesday with murdering a father and son, possibly because he believed the father had shot the man’s dog, authorities said.

Prosecutors charged William Strong, a 39-year-old property caretaker in the rural area, with two counts of first-degree murder, using a gun, said Deputy Dist. Atty. S. Kelly Cromer. Because more than one death occurred in the confrontation, prosecutors filed a special circumstance allegation that could lead to the death penalty if Strong is convicted, Cromer said.

His arraignment, scheduled for Tuesday in Antelope Municipal Court, was postponed until Feb. 22 to give the public defender’s office more time to evaluate the case.

Investigators said Strong was upset because someone had shot to death his dog, a German shepherd mix, about a month ago. They could not say for certain whether the double slaying was linked to that incident.

“He had put out reward posters to see if he could find out who did it,” Cromer said. “The defendant had contacted several people in the neighborhood and confronted them about shooting the dog.”

Among the neighbors Strong had accused was Kenneth Laux, 59. On Saturday afternoon, investigators said, Laux and his son, Kenneth Laux Jr., 34, of Pearblossom, drove to Strong’s trailer on West Hubbard Road.

Investigators do not know whether the father and son were talking to Strong about the dog’s death or any other matter before the shooting occurred.

“They had driven up his driveway and gotten out of their truck,” Cromer said. “Then they were shot. They were shot in the driveway.”

The prosecutor added, “There is nothing to indicate the victim or his son actually shot the dog.”

After the father and son were shot, Strong went to the house of a neighbor, who called a sheriff’s deputy after Strong talked about what had occurred. Deputies arrested Strong and recovered a shotgun, the possible murder weapon, from his trailer, Cromer said.

After reading a police report on the incident, Manuel Martinez, a deputy public defender in charge of the Antelope Valley office, said, “There are indications that self-defense may come into play in this case.”

At Strong’s arraignment next week, “I can assure you he will plead not guilty,” Martinez said.