Anaheim father shoots at son for leaving cigarette butts in yard, police say
An Anaheim father was arrested Monday after police said he shot at his son for leaving cigarette butts in the backyard.
The incident occurred about 7:30 a.m. after John Bennem, 68, saw the butts in the yard, according to the Anaheim Police Department.
"Dad came into the house upset with his son for leaving cigarette butts in the yard," Sgt. Rick Martinez told The Times.
Bennem allegedly pulled out a handgun and took his son into the backyard to show him the butts. He fired one shot but missed, Martinez said.
Police swarmed the area, locking down nearby Mattie Lou Maxwell Elementary School for about 90 minutes, before Bennem peacefully surrendered to officers who had gathered outside the home in the 2700 block of West Savoy Place.
Police said Bennem was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threats.
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— Robert J. Lopez
Twitter: @LAJourno
EDITOR'S PICKS:
What a BUTTHEAD...
Posted by: fesp | April 25, 2011 at 09:05 PM
OK. Work with me here... dad is 68. Let's say he had this kid later in life, even 40. That would still make the "kid" 28. What's he doing living at the folks'? I'd wanna shoot him too.
Posted by: lonewolf0071 | April 25, 2011 at 09:50 PM
Just when I thought I read it all! Wow! What's this society coming to?
Posted by: Rosario | April 25, 2011 at 09:50 PM
That is just plain stupidity on the fathers part. It sounds to me that he has some kind of mental issue and needs help immediately. If a cigarette butt made him take a shot at his own son, I'm worried what he would do if it was worse than a cigarette butt. Personally, I think people are getting crazier by the day.
Posted by: HarrisonPark@LB | April 25, 2011 at 11:11 PM
bit drastic no?
Posted by: bigtiny99 | April 26, 2011 at 08:35 AM
"Beer is good,and People are crazy" ! Makes you wonder ,how many times the
""father" told his kid not to throw his cigs in the yard...
When an Old guy has only one "gun"..make no mistake he know s how to use
it..
Funny they haven,t called him a "domestic terrorist","white of course" !
FIlm @ eleven...
Posted by: Rick | April 26, 2011 at 01:25 PM
That's worse than the Shieck Center.
Posted by: Tim | April 26, 2011 at 03:34 PM
Deport him. I just wanted to say that. Low comment count, wonder why?
Posted by: Montana Gold- | April 26, 2011 at 08:23 PM