81-year-old arrested after police say he terrorised a California neighbourhood with a slingshot

An 81-year-old man who investigators say terrorised a Southern California neighbourhood for years with a slingshot has been arrested, police said.

While conducting an investigation, detectives "learned that during the course of 9-10 years, dozens of citizens were being victimised by a serial slingshot shooter,” the Asuza Police Department said in a statement.

The man is suspected of breaking windows and car windshields and of narrowly missing people with ball bearings shot from a slingshot, the statement said. No injuries were reported.

The man was arrested on Thursday after officers served a search warrant and found a slingshot and ball bearings at his home in Asuza, about 40 km east of Los Angeles, police said.

Azusa police Lt. Jake Bushey said on Saturday that detectives learned that most of the ball bearings were shot from the suspect's backyard.

"We’re not aware of any kind of motive other than just malicious mischief,” Bushey told the Southern California News Group.

He was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

Associated Press