So last Friday KHTS posted an alarming story about a “shootout” between neighbors in the pleasant & somewhat wealthy Bridgeport* area off McBean & Newhall Ranch Road:
A man was shot Friday afternoon by a woman thought to be his neighbor, according to Sgt. Dan Peacock of the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff’s station.
The victim, who lives in the 23000 block of Windward Place in Valencia, was shot with what appeared to be a .22 caliber gun. He was taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital for treatment.
The suspect was still at large as of late Friday afternoon.
Pretty brief report, as it were.
Unfortunately, neither KHTS nor The Signal provided any followup to the story. Why should they? Well, discharging a firearm while pointing said firearm at another human being is a pretty serious offense, doncha think?
The SCVTalkers took the blackout as a sign of yet another Valencia-area crime conspiracy. Here’s what one of them had to say:
This is a good example of what happens in Santa Clarita, stays in Santa Clarita. Come on, where’s the story!
I think that the citizens of this valley should be made aware that a woman with a grudge (and an obvious temper) has a gun and used it. Yet for what ever reason the sheriffs don’t feel this is important for us to know. The Signal doesn’t feel this is important for us to know. Why?
So I shot an email over to Sgt. Darren Harris at the SCV Sheriff’s Station, asking him if he had an update on the suspect, whether the suspect was arrested, and what the status of the case was. I also asked if the local elementary school had been put into lockdown. Here’s his response:
Investigation is continuing. The woman who was allegedly involved has been identified and was contacted by detectives the same day. She has been questioned but has not been arrested. No new suspect information at this point. As with any incident near a school or occurring in a public place, deputies increase presence in the area immediately following the incident and the on-scene field supervisors make the assessment and determination as to any public safety concerns necessitating school lockdowns, evacuations, etc.Sgt. Harris
Sgt. Harris added that as far as he knows, the victim in the case suffered an “arm injury” and was treated and released.
Now, a word about this coverup idea. As best as I can tell, the “Valencia Coverup Conspiracy” (VCC for short) involves individuals from the City, the Signal, Newhall Land, the Sheriff’s Station, and other local powerful institutions conspiring together to prevent negative news happening in certain communities from being publicized.
Why?
Well such negative news would serve to be a stain on said neighborhoods and communities, thus discouraging future people visiting or buying their homes in Valencia. Stark raving mad women shooting at neighbors isn’t the kind of image Bridgeport is attempting to sell, so they sweep it under the rug, the conspiracy theorists argue.
To a certain extent I can understand those who believe in this conspiracy theory. Here’s why: It’s not that the Signal, the Sheriff’s station and even the City are adverse to publishing information about crime; indeed, when it paints them in a positive light, they shout the drug busts/gang arrests/burglary busts from the mountaintops.
But it’s obvious their reporting is never quite complete and satisfactory. Just a few years ago we at least had a daily crime blotter in the Signal to read, but after some objected to that (looking at you Mayor Dude!) that was dropped.For the most part, we learn about crimes from neighbors and brief news reports like the ones above. The only ones that are reported on at any length are ones that have a successful conclusion.
In the absence of authoritative reporting, conspiracy theories emerge.
Anyway, that’s the update. Do with it what you will.
* By the way, is it just me or do a disproportionate number of messed-up stories come out of Bridgeport? First the coots, then RottenNeighbors.com, and now this?