FALLBROOK–Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 63 year-old Fallbrook resident for attempted murder on her next door neighbor during a property dispute, a Sheriff’s department spokesman says.
On Friday afternoon, Sheriff’s Department responded to a report of shots fired. The scene was located in the vicinity of 42200 Tenaja Truck Trail, a remote property in the De Luz area of Fallbrook, which spans both Riverside and San Diego Counties.
De Luz residents, Thomas Wessels, 65, and his wife were attempting to access their property by vehicle when they were stopped by their neighbor Alyce Copeland, 63. Copeland was sitting in a chair blocking the easement road used by both the Wessels and Copeland for their respective residences. The Wessels and Copeland have had an ongoing dispute over right-of-way access, as well as use-of easements at the properties, and a civil case is currently pending.
After parking their vehicle, the Wessels approached Copeland and asked her why she was blocking the road. A short conversation ensued, and at one point, Copeland reached into her waistband and pulled out a handgun. Copeland fired one shot at Thomas Wessel, which struck him in the abdomen. Wessels was able to wrestle the gun from Copeland before she could fire another round. He struck Copeland in the head with the butt of the weapon before his wife transported him to a local hospital for treatment. Copeland sustained minor injuries to her head and she was treated at a local hospital before being transported to the Vista Detention Facility on charges of attempted murder. She has since been transferred to Las Colinas Detention Facility and is due to be arraigned on Tuesday.
