EL CAJON (CNS) - A man accused of shooting his sleeping next-door neighbor in La Mesa, then allegedly trying to fire on responding police officers, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that include attempted murder of a peace officer.
Trevor Alexander Shell, 31, faces up to 145 years to life in state prison if convicted of all charges connected to Saturday's early morning shooting.
La Mesa police said they initially received a 911 call just after 3:30 a.m. regarding domestic violence, as well as a gunshot fired through the wall of Shell's apartment on Buckland Street.
The 911 call came from a 51-year-old man next door who was shot in the head while asleep in his bed in a room with a shared wall, Lt. Scott Hildebrand told City News Service. The victim suffered a grazing wound and was ambulatory before he was taken to a hospital in an ambulance, Hildebrand said.
La Mesa police officers arrived moments later and approached the adjoining apartments, where Shell was waiting outside.
"He immediately raised a handgun, pointed it at the officers and pulled the trigger, but the suspect's firearm apparently malfunctioned," Hildebrand said.
Shell then ran from the scene, "but was quickly captured and placed under arrest," Hildebrand said.
The lieutenant said a woman who was the original victim of domestic violence was found shaken, but physically unharmed. She was not hospitalized.
Shell is charged with two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer, two counts of assault on a peace officer with a semi-automatic firearm, one count of shooting at an inhabited dwelling, and three counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm.
He remains in custody without bail following Wednesday afternoon's arraignment.
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