Man Charged in Neighbor’s Fatal Shooting

A 67-year-old man was charged Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter after he allegedly fired a warning shot that ricocheted off the ground and fatally struck a neighbor sitting in his garage, authorities said.

Eleuterio Ocampo was arrested on suspicion of murder over the weekend, but the district attorney’s office decided to file charges of involuntary manslaughter and illegal use of a firearm. If convicted, Ocampo could face up to 14 years in prison, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Dan McNerney.

“Based on our understanding of the evidence that has been collected at this time, it appears that the evidence points in the direction of manslaughter as opposed to murder,” McNerney said.

Investigators suspect that Ocampo fired a warning shot at the ground to chase off neighborhood children he believed had thrown fruit stolen from his trees at his house, Police Sgt. Glenn Deveny said.

The shot ricocheted off a rock or the sidewalk, pierced through a garage next door and struck 22-year-old Marco Antonio Fuentes in the chest, immediately killing him, Deveny said.

Fuentes was discovered by his relatives about 11 p.m. Saturday and police arrested Ocampo the next day. His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 18.