Mendocino County Man Arrested for Allegedly Assaulting Elderly Man, Locking Him in Shipping Container
A Mendocino County man has reportedly been arrested on a variety of charges after allegedly assaulting an elderly man and locking him in a shipping container.
According to a press release by the Sheriff’s Office, Mendocino County deputies responded to a distress call regarding a suicidal adult male, identified as 42-year-old James Padgett, who was allegedly armed with a handgun, at Usal Beach within Sinkyone Wilderness State Park on the afternoon of September 12. It was also discovered that Padgett had admitted to a crisis line operator that he had locked a 72-year-old man inside a shipping container at a residence on Seaview Drive in Westport.
Upon arriving at the Seaview Drive location, deputies discovered the shipping container and successfully freed the elderly victim, who had suffered severe injuries across his body. Deputies determined that Padgett had confronted the victim upon his arrival at the residence, allegedly assaulted him with a lever-action rifle, and then locked him in the container.
Deputies gathered evidence from the scene and proceeded to Usal Beach to locate Padgett. However, California State Parks Rangers had managed to apprehend Padgett without further incident. Padgett was reportedly found to be in possession of a handgun at the time of his arrest.
Subsequent interviews with Padgett led to his arrest on suspicion of multiple charges, including kidnapping, false imprisonment, elder abuse, assault with a deadly weapon, and witness intimidation.
Padgett was interviewed soon thereafter and ultimately taken into custody on suspicion of kidnapping, false imprisonment, elder abuse, assault with a deadly weapon, and witness intimidation. He was booked at the Mendocino County jail on $100,000 bond.
It was unclear at press time whether Padgett had retained an attorney.
The investigation into this incident is ongoing. All persons arrested on suspicion of a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
