BAKERSFEILD, Calif. (KERO) — An explosive confrontation.
82-year-old Jerald Lowrimore is facing nine felonies including attempted murder, arson, and animal cruelty. Court documents show Lowrimore, a convicted felon, was in possession of two registered revolvers at the time of the shooting and he told police he'd plotted to set his trailer ablaze for years.
This isn’t the first time Lowrimore has been in trouble with the law. In fact his first felony charge was in 1994 stemming from drug related charges.
Court documents describing a heated argument in North Bakersfield on January 9. Neighbors reported one of the Lowimore was armed. According court documents, Lowrimore told police he was watching TV when, he says, his neighbor began to “mess with his dog."
A witness told police they saw Lowrimore holding a knife and moments later returned from his trailer holding a .38 caliber revolver behind his back. The witness told police they attempted to warn the neighbor when Lowimore fired the revolver three or four times.
When officers arrived to the scene, Lowrimore had retreated to his trailer. According to the documents, officers were advised that Lowrimore might suffer from Dementia or Alzheimer’s, however, he later denied having a mental illness.
Lowrimore exited at one point and threw the revolver at police before retreating again to his trailer. That’s when officers heard a loud explosion from inside. According to the court filings, Lowrimore told police he’d been planning on blowing up his trailer for 5 years, and did so using gasoline, rubbing alcohol, and the gas from his wall heater. He said he stood in his doorway and turned on a lighter to start the flames.
He said his intention was not to harm the officers, but because he didn’t want his ex-wife — who he’d not seen for 20 years — to take his trailer.
Filings say Lowrimore told police he wanted and tried to kill his neighbor and that he was upset he missed his shots.
A records check showed that Lowrimore was a convicted felon and he had two revolvers registered to him. Documents said police were only able to locate one of the firearms though.
Filings say during an in-field line up, Lowrimore told a witness “I’ll get you next time.”
Lowrimore's next hearing is scheduled for Wednesday at 9 a.m.
