10-year-old arrested for Aliso Canyon pellet gun shooting of postman
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
Published: August 10, 2005
A 10-year-old Santa Paula boy who lives in a nearby canyon was arrested for shooting a rural postman with a pellet gun, according to a Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman.
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula Times
A 10-year-old Santa Paula boy who lives in a nearby canyon was arrested for shooting a rural postman with a pellet gun, according to a Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman.
VCSD Fillmore Police Det. Taurino Almazan said that the incident occurred on Saturday, July 30 at about 2 p.m. on the 2700 block of Aliso Canyon Road in the unincorporated area west of Santa Paula city limits.
Postman Bert Perello, a resident of Oxnard, was delivering mail to the sparsely populated canyon when suddenly he was “Struck once in the right forearm with a pellet,” as he reached out of the truck to place mail in the box.
The 10-year-old boy was arrested shortly after the shooting took place noted Det. Almazan.
“At this point the circumstances show that it couldn’t have been an accident so that is why the boy was arrested. He is a resident of the canyon area at the location of the incident.”
A pellet gun can cause a fatality if a person is shot in the eye or the temple area of the head said Det. Almazan but, “Fortunately,” Perello’s injury was not serious.
“The boy has no criminal history at all,” and was cited before being released to the custody of his parents. “He was issued a notice to appear in court and the case will be reviewed by the District Attorney’s Office...they’ll make the decision whether or not to put it through the court system or handle it more informally. There was some concern that there was someone out there shooting at people and it might continue, but the situation was taken care of,” and the area remains safe. “We feel it was just an opportunist situation...we don’t think the boy planned it, but nevertheless he did wrong.”
Perello was treated at a local medical clinic and released but not before he finished his route.
“You know what they say,” about postal delivery said Det. Almazan, “neither sleet nor snow or rain” will delay the mail reaching its destination.
“Now I suppose you can add shot to the list,” he added.
Perello is undergoing surgery this week in a Van Nuys hospital to remove the pellet.
“I hope everything works out and there are no further complications,” he noted. “I’m lucky I wasn’t shot in the eye...you’re talking to a lucky guy.”
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