SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Newly obtained court documents shed light on what happened months before the deadly shooting at the Islamic Center. The filings show 26 firearms were confiscated by police following a welfare check connected to 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez.
Court records show Chula Vista police visited the home of Marco Vazquez after a welfare check on Caleb over concerns about his "suspicious behavior idolizing Nazis and mass shooters." Officers asked about firearms inside the home after reviewing gun records.
Marco Vazquez told police the guns were locked inside a safe kept in a locked closet and that his son did not have access to them. When officers asked to search the home, he refused.
In the court filing, Marco Vazquez said:
"The only reason for seeking a gun violence restraining order against me is that I would not allow law enforcement to search my home."
Before any legal order was issued, the family said they took additional steps on their own. Marco Vazquez said in court filings that he voluntarily removed all firearms, ammunition and accessories from the home and took them to a licensed firearms dealer for storage, then provided proof to police.
Court filings also show that following reports about Caleb and his radicalized ideologies, his parents said they enrolled him in therapy, monitored his social media and kept him under supervision.
Court records show the gun violence restraining order was dismissed about two weeks after police filed it.
In the filings, Marco Vazquez wrote:
"I have no intention of bringing my firearms back into the house until my wife, my son's therapist, and I believe it is safe to do so... I also have no intention of allowing my son access to my firearms."
On Thursday, the Vazquez family released a public statement following the mass shooting, saying their son was on the autism spectrum and that they believe he became radicalized online. They said they encouraged him to seek help, including spending time at rehab centers, but added: "It ultimately was not enough."
ABC 10News reached out to Chula Vista Police for comment on the declaration and the claims made in the court filing, but have not heard back.
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