Troy Helton dies in parking
lot altercation that
resulted from dog fight

June 05, 2015
Santa Paula News

A Santa Paula businessman who had been active with the Chamber of Commerce died Monday during a parking lot altercation that resulted from a dog fight.

Troy Helton Jr., 68, was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident that occurred in the far reaches of the Kmart parking lot where Helton was known to run his large dogs.

According to Santa Paula Police Sgt. Cody Madison, police responded to a 3:45 p.m. report of a “fight in progress” between two men in the 800 block of Faulkner Road.

Upon Officers’ arrival Madison said “it was determined one of the subjects who was fighting was not breathing,” and at that time paramedics and the Santa Paula Fire Department were requested to respond; life saving measures were started by an Officer.  

Once the SPFD EMTs and ambulance paramedics arrived they took over trying to revive Helton.

“After a significant amount of time in attempting life saving measures,” Helton, who did not have obvious signs of injuries, was declared deceased by emergency medical personnel.

Police learned the altercation had taken place over the two men’s dogs and no weapons were involved. The other man involved in the fight is a 60-year-old city resident.

Madison said the altercation apparently stemmed from a fight that occurred between Helton’s two dogs and a third dog owned  by the second man; the two did not know each other before the encounter.

The unidentified second man was “Visiting a friend in an RV at the parking lot,” and “it appears Mr. Helton was letting his dogs run around,” unleashed.

Helton’s two white dogs appeared to weigh more than 100 pounds each, a “breed I didn’t recognize,” said Madison.

“His dogs became involved with the other gentleman’s dog,” a black animal that weighed approximately 30 to 40 pounds, and the “dogs started fighting…the dogs became embroiled, barking at each other or fighting with each other — and it kind of went south from there,” when Helton and the other man started to argue and then fight. 

The second man said Madison, “Had moderate injuries, enough where he had to get to the hospital and be medically treated before we could interview him.”

The dogs were not injured: “We had Animal Control come on scene to get control of one of the white dogs, they were out there to help us contain the dogs,” which were released to family members or friends of Helton and the second man.

After the man involved in the altercation was treated at Santa Paula Hospital, he was “cooperative,” with investigators.

There was an autopsy completed Wednesday but Madison said  making the results public won’t be made until toxicology reports are complete.

“It’s just really unfortunate,” he noted. “I have dogs, am an animal lover but for dogs to be fighting and someone is now deceased over it is really unfortunate…” 

After questioning the second man it was determined further investigation was warranted and he remains a subject of interest.

Helton’s long established Troy Helton Jr. HVAC & Electrical offered complete service for air conditioning, heating and ventilation equipment, from design and installation to maintenance; his company had relocated from Santa Paula to Saticoy in recent years. He was active in the Business Network International Heritage Valley Chapter; Helton was also a private pilot with a hangar at Santa Paula Airport. A longtime volunteer for the Fillmore & Western Railway, Helton owned a 1921 Model T Huckster truck that he showed off in area parades.

Anyone that witnessed this incident is asked to contact SPPD Detective Randy Haumann at 525-4474 x 211.





Site Search

E-Subscribe

Subscribe

E-SUBSCRIBE
Call 805 525 1890 to receive the entire paper early. $50.00 for one year.

webmaster