OJAI : Man Arrested After Rifle Incident at Lake
A 30-year-old Meiners Oaks man was arrested early Friday after firing rifle shots in the vicinity of a caretaker for Matilija Lake in Ojai, sheriff’s deputies said.
Eric Johnston, who was found at 3:15 a.m. Friday on a sandbar island on the lake, surrendered to a sheriff’s SWAT team and was taken into custody at 4:50 a.m., authorities said.
Johnston had fired about 12 rounds but caretaker Moises Lopez, 31, was not injured, said Ventura County Sheriff’s Lt. Larry Robertson.
Johnston told authorities that he was despondent over some recent deaths and went to Matilija Lake in Matilija Canyon to be alone and think, Robertson said. Having taken a rifle to defend against mountain lions, Johnston fired shots after being told to leave, Robertson said.
Johnston was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
