Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Man Held in Shooting Over Snake
A Palmdale man who was apparently terrified of snakes tried to kill one in his yard Tuesday, then shot another man who taunted him because of his fear, authorities said.
Michael Osborne, 30, tried to kill a nonpoisonous snake in the yard of an apartment complex in the 38700 block of 20th Street East when the victim, who was not identified, picked up the snake and began taunting Osborne, said Deputy Paul Ullman of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Ullman described the victim as a 36-year-old resident of the same apartment complex.
Osborne and the man argued for several minutes before Osborne went back to his apartment and returned carrying a .357 magnum revolver and shot the victim once in the stomach, Ullman said.
The victim was in critical condition at Palmdale General Hospital.
Osborne was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and was being held on $545,000 bail at the Antelope Valley Sheriff’s Station, Ullman said.
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