Man Held in Shotgun Slaying of Acquaintance

A 20-year-old man remained jailed Saturday on suspicion of shooting an acquaintance to death during a confrontation inside the suspect’s home.

Eugene Libby Jr. was arrested Friday shortly after the 7:59 p.m. shooting that left 25-year-old Julius Ocampo dead, said Cypress Police Sgt. David Birozy. Libby was being held at the city jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Police have provided few details about the shooting, the second in this city this year, saying only that it occurred during an argument between Ocampo and Libby’s family. Ocampo, a resident of Anaheim, was wounded in the chest by a shotgun blast and died shortly after he was taken to Los Alamitos Medical Center, police said.

The suspect’s father said Saturday that the shooting was in self-defense after Ocampo and another man forced their way into the family’s home in the 4700 block of Ashbury Avenue.

“My son was afraid for his life and I was afraid for his life,” Eugene Libby said. “They wanted in the house, and I told them to get out and take their problems with them.”

The father said he struggled with one man, who has not been identified, as Ocampo went after his son in front of several family members, including an 11-year-old child.

“My son was in a panic,” the elder Libby said. “Everyone in the house was in a panic.”

The father said his son had bought a shotgun, but he would not explain why the younger Libby had the weapon.

A neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said the police had visited the residence before and that Ocampo was a “regular fixture” there. The father was vague about the relationship between the victim and his son.

Other neighbors, including one across the street, were not aware that a shooting had taken place and expressed shock.

“This is a quiet neighborhood,” said Dana Yee, 42. “I was not aware of any problems. This is a surprise to me.”