ENCINITAS–An armed homeowner confronted and tackled a transient who allegedly tried to steal copper cable and wires from his property, authorities said.
The homeowner’s son tasered and detained the suspect until Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the property, located on the 500 block of La Costa Avenue in Encinitas.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested the suspect, later identified as Chuck Neil, a 43-year-old transient from Escondido.
The homeowner, Fred Weston, 62, was awakened by his surveillance system on his property.
Weston’s one acre property had been targeted several times in the past by suspects stealing copper cable/wire, leading him to set up the system. After being awakened, Weston armed himself with a shotgun and went out to check the property. While checking the property, Weston encountered a suspect in dark clothing, attempting to hide. Weston ordered the suspect to “stand up, show himself.” They both started walking to the front gate of the property. As they approached the gate, the suspect grabbed the barrel of the gun and attempted to take it away. Weston fired one round from the shotgun hoping the sound would scare the suspect and he would let go. The suspect was able to wrestle the shotgun away from Weston. He punched Weston in the face several times, breaking his nose and causing Weston to fall to the ground, face first. The suspect began choking Weston with the barrel of the shotgun across his throat.
Weston’s wife, Lilibeth, and their son Joseph, 19, saw the assault occurring over the surveillance cameras. The son armed himself with a taser, and he and his mother drove down the long driveway to where Weston was fighting with the suspect. The suspect refused their demands to release Weston, so the son deployed his taser one time, incapacitating the suspect. The family used a belt to secure him while they called 9-1-1.
Weston was treated and released from a local hospital for a broken nose, and multiple scrapes and bruises. The suspect was also taken to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment related to the taser deployment and minor scrapes and bruises.
Deputies found copper cable had been cut and was being collected nearby on the property. Upon his release from the hospital, Neil was questioned by detectives then booked into the Vista Detention Facility for robbery and a grand theft related to one prior case at the Weston home.
Both investigations are still on-going.
