Man arrested in Madera after shooting his stepfather

Thursday, April 26, 2018
Man arrested in Madera after shooting his stepfather
Heath Johnston was arrested for attempted murder and is being held on a $1 million dollar bond.

MADERA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Heath Johnston was arrested after police said he shot his own stepfather on Tuesday night.

"When officers arrived at the scene, they located 77-year-old Richard Cuellar, who was in front of the residence and suffered multiple gunshot wounds," Madera Police Department's Cpl. Mark Adams said.

Police said it happened a little after 8 p.m. at a home along West Kennedy Street and Granada Drive.

Neighbors said they heard at least four gunshots shortly before officers arrived at the scene.

Adams says the 31-year-old suspect used a .22 caliber rifle. Investigators aren't disclosing what the argument about but said they're looking into what caused Johnston to shoot.

"Currently it's still an ongoing investigation. We do have detectives investigating the case. Typically when we do have a shooting or something like what happened, there are some other loose ends that they need look at," Adams said.

Adams said no one else was injured. Officers aren't able to confirm if the victim was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the shooting.

The Madera Police Department says that a 48-year-old man was shot at a home on W Kennedy St near N Granada Dr.

Johnston was arrested for attempted murder. He's being held at the Madera County Department of Corrections on a $1 million dollar bond.

Officers say the victim is in stable condition at this time. Action News tried reaching out to the family, but our calls have not been returned.