Edhat Staff
Update by the edhat staff
September 6, 2023
An 82-year-old man fired a handgun at three teens in Stevens Park on Monday.
Roy Eugene Stephenson Jr. was arrested on Monday afternoon and booked on felony charges that include assault with a deadly weapon and making threats.
Three teenage boys, ranging in age from 15 to 18, were in the San Roque creekbed that borders Stevens Park. According to the Santa Barbara Police Department, Stephenson believed the teens were trespassing on his property. He engaged in a verbal argument with the teenagers, retrieved a handgun, then fired the gun in the direction of the teens.
Stephenson will be required to appear in court on September 19 for a hearing that could remove all guns from his home.
There were no injuries reported.
Police Response Near Stevens Park
By an edhat reader
September 5, 2023
There was a large police response, about 7 sbpd vehicles in the San Roque neighborhood yesterday.
After 4:00 p.m. near Stevens Park, 200 block of Canon Drive, near a home there. Not necessarily in the park. A neighbor said someone was arrested and might have been carrying a gun but haven’t heard anything else.
Does anyone else know what happened?
An update!
“Roy Eugene Stephenson Jr., a San Roque man who fired a gun at three teen boys he believed were trespassing on his property, is facing prison time and a lawsuit as he and his attorney argue that during the incident last fall he “strategically” fired a warning shot near the group in self-defense.”
https://www.independent.com/2024/04/04/santa-barbara-man-who-shot-at-teens-near-stevens-park-faces-prison-time-civil-lawsuit/
YINYANG – thanks for the update! I sure hope he spends some serious time behind bars. Trying to kill children but somehow not being charged with attempted murder? You shoot at someone, that should be attempted murder in all cases.
Wasn’t there someone shooting there earlier this summer? Or fireworks?
The shooting there earlier was in the bridge area and one the three reported. I heard two of the three, all of which were along SR192 with the last and all of them westbound. First was along East San Roque and the second in San Roque. This would have been closer to San Roque Park.
It was a large presence and they were responding Code 2, no sirens so likely a threat of some kind but I don’t usually turn the scanner for those calls.
TAGDES – “no sirens so likely a threat of some kind but I don’t usually turn the scanner for those calls.” Please explain this comment.
Any serious altercation or injury would be Code 3 unless a call for a shut down in the area and I heard nothing. I see or hear these type of calls daily, especially in the area where Roger Dodger lives and of course near the Motel 6 paroles habitat area.
It was an old man resident who went to jail. Psycho thought the creek was his property and was yelling at teenagers. He pulled out a pistol and shot at them. They called the police. He had an arsonal in his house. Bologna sandwiches for him.
KEGGING – if true, that’s terrifying. I do hope he, as all other local criminals, are publicly named so we as a community can avoid him once released. I’m hoping his arsenal will be confiscated, but doubting it will be.
So, Sacjon, you know strangers on the street by name? BS.
4:55PM – Um, huh? Where did I say I know anyone by name? Are you on the right thread? Even if you’re not, that comment makes absolutely no sense. Try again? Or, are you, like you sound, just full of BS?
4:55 it went right over his head lol
SBSTONER – only because it was incoherent, like most of your blathering.
Sac – I, and other readers knew what it meant. I doubt you remember what more than 1% of named cons look like. And even then the most prolific.
Your want to have someone named and to need to cancel them just proves your desire for a “grab the pitchforks” type response to anything you deem offensive.
SBStoner: Canceling this fellow seems quite appropriate.
“anything you deem offensive”
Shooting at teenagers in the creek is offensive to any decent sane person.
Exactly, DALGORF. How anyone could complain about “cancelling” (whatever that means) someone who is trying to murder children is beyond me.
457–
There are these things called “pictures”. Sometimes if you have a name you can find a picture online to go with it. Particularly if someone has already been convicted of a crime and there is a mugshot.
Fun that you are more concerned about a habitual criminal most recently accused of firing a weapon at kids in a creek than you are about people being able to be safe.
SACJON you wanted this person named so you could avoid him in public. Seems that can only work if you can use the name to recognize the man. I cannot imagine he would be walking about with a name tag. So you would have to put the name together with a face. Or maybe you want a return to some sort of Puritanical system where criminals do have to wear a mark in public to let the good citizens know of the evil among them.
9:27 – Yeah, do you know what an internet is? You’re using it right now. If he is shooting guns at kids who are playing in the creek, he IS evil and should be outed so people can avoid him. Keep defending him though…..
SBTONER – “I, and other readers knew what it meant” – LOL no you didn’t. Heck, even RHS didn’t know what he meant. It was incoherent trolling, nothing more.
“I doubt you remember what more than 1% of named cons look like. And even then the most prolific.” – Huh? Try again, that makes zero sense. You should always read your comments and edit yourself before posting, it’s good practice.
And hell yes I want to “cancel them” if they’re shooting guns at kids! Why are you defending adults who shoot guns at kids in a park?
Hey SBSTONER….. my “desire for a “grab the pitchforks” type response to anything you deem offensive..”
So you think I’m just overreacting to something I think is “offensive? Does your family know how little regard you have for the lives of children?
https://www.independent.com/2023/09/06/82-year-old-man-arrested-in-santa-barbara-after-firing-weapon-at-teens/
OLDWALTER – thanks for that. That is really scary.
“According to Santa Barbara County Superior Court Records, Stephenson’s charges also include a number of enhancements, including “habitual criminal” and “persons not to be granted probation or suspended sentence.” – How on earth was he allowed to own any guns if he already had a record like that? Oh yeah……. ‘Murica.
Great, even more reasons to fear letting my teenager be outdoors with friends.
LETMEGO – right? Another reason we have a lower quality of life than other developed countries. Parents have to worry about their kids being shot everywhere they go: school, church, concerts, parties, and now our own backyard!
BABY – it was a gang fight. The severity of the injuries called for the charges. No one is out there beating on kids at bonfires. Haskell’s is just as safe as any place in SB where there’s been a single, isolated violent crime. I agree on the tracking device though. Most kids have them on their phones.
Sac preaching it was a gang fight like he’s got the inside scoop.
Last time I checked 10 or 20 people attacking just 2 people is not a “fight”
Gang fight at Haskell’s = no longer a safe place for late-night bonfires. Only those who want to be the “cool dad” or “cool mom” would be okay with sending their child to a known gang-infested beach. Go ahead and be that “cool” parent and make it about you and not your child’s safety.
Amen to that! You can’t even have a wholesome bonfire at the beach where allowed. Look at the attempted murder of two teens that took place out at Haskell’s in Goleta a month or so ago. No one in their right mind is going to have a beach fire at Haskell’s due to the potential danger to life and limb. Parents (at least good/caring parents) aren’t knowingly allowing their teens to go there in the evenings/nights these days. Let’s not live in fear, but at least be smart about letting your kids roam free at all hours of the night. I never thought I’d say this, but requiring tracking devices on kids under 18 should be mandatory.
SBPOSER – Uh…. yeah. I have kids in high school at DP who go to bonfires there all the time and know about it from word at school. Nice try “arguing” though LOL! Cute attempt there. Last time you checked, you were wrong.
“known gang-infested beach” – LOL say you’ve never been to Haskell’s without say you’ve never been to Haskell’s. Also, super neat of you to try to shame me or whatever that is. You saying if there was ever a fight at a high school party, you’d never let your kids go to another party? Sounds like one of those liberal helicopter parents to me….. Do you still drive your kids to school because driving is risky? I bet you do.
SBPOSER – You will do anything just to argue, eh?
“Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives are searching for suspects involved in a fight that left two juveniles injured” – https://www.edhat.com/news/two-juveniles-attacked-at-haskells-bonfire
You spent the better part of day then arguing it wasn’t a gang “fight,” but rather gang “activity” and you weren’t even there or have kids who know what happened. Why are you so determined to pick arguments over something you’re so clearly wrong about?
You may be well on the way to finding out what actually happened at my 2nd home 2-5 days a week for the past umpteen years. A teen, who was not there when the attack occurred, relays a story they heard from another teen at school who may have heard from a reliable teen who was not there either to their parent(s). Uh.. er…uh…okay…if you say so…solid info…Riiiiight….got it (not).
BABY – your first sentence makes no sense. As to your second, what are you trying to say? That my kid is lying about Haskell’s not being a “gang infested beach?” My friends and I go frequently to bonfires. No gangs. Do you even know what you’re trying to argue at this point?
Just another responsible gun owner.
RHS – wow, so it was you LOL. Just wow. You “sneak” in here and troll me on something I’m pretty sure you agree with? What did I do to you? Was it me disagreeing about SBCC athletics. Dude I never suspected you sinking that low. Yuck. All respect gone.
Really weird. Never though RHS, of all people, would be sticking up for the rights of career criminals who shoot guns at teenagers playing in a park over the rights of parents being able to identify and avoid someone so evil and violent. Just shows, you never know the true nature of someone. Sad.
Maybe he wasn’t allowed to possess any guns due to previous convictions and as a criminal paid no attention to the rules.
Take his guns, put him on every watchlist there is for dangerous individuals to society and lock him up.
His guns are probably already gone via an emergency gun violence restraining order and it is unlikely he will get them back unless he is tried and found innocent. He may be able to cut a deal for “no guns” ever again and plead to a discharging a firearm near a residence, time served and a long probation because he is 82 and it is costly to house the elderly in county jail
Anyone else notice that there have been no posts by Voice of Reason since this happened?
STEW – LOL!
The Well-Regulated Militia Retirement Program
According to the SBSO custody search, he’s no longer in jail. Troubling that violent and repeat criminals are so easily released, right?