Mother, grandfather victims of suspect's rage.
A 21-year old man is in jail in lieu of $1 million bail for
a Labor Day assault on his parents and grandfather that left them with serious
injuries.
Deputies responded to calls for help on the 25500 block of Burns
Place in Stevenson Ranch at 2:30 p.m. Monday. Hearing fighting inside the house and,
finding the door locked, they forced the door open, smelled pepper spray and
heard screams coming from an upstairs bedroom.
As the deputies entered the home, they saw suspect John
Willett was being restrained by his father and was being uncooperative.
According to Lt. Brenda Cambra, he struck the deputies as they attempted to
handcuff him.
Willett had reportedly been arguing with his mother over a
friend visiting the home and he began hitting her repeatedly in the head with a
cell phone, dropping the phone and putting his hands around her neck, in an
attempt to choke her.
Cambra added that medical issues may have influenced the
confrontation.
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Willett’s grandfather entered the room, causing the young
man to flee to his bedroom, but he returned with a knife, which he held to his
mother’s neck. Both the mother and grandfather ran to a bedroom, attempting to
hide, but Willett sprayed them both with pepper spray.
The grandfather told deputies that after the pepper
spraying, Willett pushed him to the floor and was holding his hand over his
mouth. One of the victims was able to call Willett’s father, who arrived
shortly and restrained the young man.
Both the mother and grandfather had serious injuries around
the face and head and were treated by paramedics at the scene before being
transported to the hospital.
Willett was arrested and transported to the medical ward of
Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles,
where he faces possible charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly
weapon. He is scheduled to appear in Santa Clarita Superior Court on Wednesday.