BAKERSFIELD — A 59-year-old Rosamond man was arrested on Monday after allegedly assaulting his family and shooting into his neighbors’ home.
Eric Kilijanski was booked into the Kern County Jail on five counts of attempted murder, five counts of assault with a deadly weapon, shooting at an inhabited dwelling, terrorist threats, spousal battery and eight counts of child endangerment. His bail has been set at $3,542,500.
According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report of a disturbance between neighbors at about 5 p.m. on July 14, in the 3500 block of Tanglewood Avenue in Rosamond. Upon their arrival, deputies said they were unable to determine if the suspect, Kilijanski, and a neighbor, 33-year-old Christopher Coupland who lives behind him, had been involved in an argument regarding a barking dog.
Deputies left but again responded to the residence approximately 15 minutes later, after receiving reports of spousal abuse and possible shots fired. While en route deputies said they were flagged down by Kilijanski’s wife, who said her husband was firing a handgun in his yard.
“Deputies responding to the home said they heard several shots being fired,” Ray Pruitt, sheriff’s department spokesperson said. “When they arrived on scene they ordered the suspect to drop an empty handgun holster and then took him into custody without further incident.”
After a further investigation deputies determined that Kilijanski assaulted his wife and his adult daughter before retrieving a handgun from the attic of the home and firing it at his wife, his daughter and her children as they drove away.
During the investigation deputies again spoke with Coupland, who reported that Kilijanski fired numerous rounds into the back area of his house.
Deputies were able to locate nine bullet holes in Coupland’s home. At the time, there were six children under the age of seven-years-old in the home.
A loaded .357 handgun and 16 spent shell casings – six in the back yard, three in the front yard and seven inside the home – were discovered after a search of Kilijanski’s residence.
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