San Joaquin County Probation Officer Charged With Attempted Murder

SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY (CBS13) — An assistant deputy chief probation officer for San Joaquin County was arrested on Wednesday for attempted murder and several other charges in what appears to be an incidence of road rage while his two children were with him, according to the sheriff's department.

Larry Alan King, 44, was off duty when the allegedly act took place Sunday. He was also charged with shooting at a vehicle, child endangerment and other unspecified charges. He had his elementary-age children in the car when the incidence took place, according to San Joaquin County sheriff's spokesman Deputy Les Garcia.

According to the sheriff's incident report, a 25-year-old man said he was being followed very closely on Highway 99 and then onto French Camp Road starting at about 5 p.m. When he pulled over to the side to let the vehicle pass, the victim told deputies the other vehicle pulled up next to him and a man pulled out a rifle and shot out the rear window.

"As far as we know this guy is a perfect stranger," Garcia said of the two men. "The suspect driver got out of the vehicle and fired shots at him with a rifle, striking his vehicle twice."

The victim was not injured and was able to obtain the license plate number of the other vehicle. King was arrested at about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday without incident at his apartment in the 1300 block of S. Central Avenue in Lodi.

King has been with probation for 12 years. He's been placed on administrative leave, the department said.

"The Probation Department is very concerned about this incident involving one of our employees," the department said in a press release issued Thursday morning. "We will be conducting a complete investigation and taking the appropriate measures."

The department referred all other questions to the sheriff's department.

Neighbors CBS13 talked to at the apartment complex where King lives expressed surprise over his arrest. They described him as friendly and thought he appeared to be a good father.

"I've run into him at the school picking up his kids and he seemed normal to me, fairly nice guy," neighbor Kari Mann said.

King's red pickup truck was parked at the apartment complex, missing the front bumper.

King's children weren't hurt. They're staying with their mother.