Deputies arrested a homeowner near Antioch who admitted to firing a shotgun after confronting fishermen who were in a boat on a pond on his property Saturday evening, authorities said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 9 p.m. Saturday to the 43000 block of North Lake Avenue in unincorporated Antioch for a trespassing complaint.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Matthew Harmon said the incident involved fishermen in a boat on a private pond owned by Theodore Cartner, 76, of Antioch.
Cartner reported that the people were not permitted on the property. They had accessed the pond by a public channel.
A verbal dispute ensued between Cartner, who remained on land, and the fishermen, who remained in their boat, Harmon said.
Both parties called the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and dispatchers were speaking with the fishermen when they heard a gunshot.
Deputies arrived and conducted an investigation while speaking with both parties.
Harmon said the fishermen reported that Cartner retrieved a shotgun during the argument and discharged it. The pellets struck the water near their boat.
Cartner admitted to firing the weapon into the air in an attempt to warn the fishermen to leave, Harmon said. He voluntarily surrendered the firearm.
The facts of the case were reviewed by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, which approved one count of reckless discharge of a firearm, a Class 4 felony.
Cartner was taken into custody and transported to the Lake County Jail where he appeared in First Appearance Court on Sunday morning.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain him pending trial and Lake County Judge Paul Novak set a detention hearing for Monday afternoon.