By Patric Hedlund, TME

“He’s a proud man. He doesn’t want people to know how badly he’s hurt,” Jonathan Castellano’ mother, Denise, said Monday. She speaks quickly, between moments of distress, then stops suddenly when she feels overwhelmed.

The large Castellano family had been jolted by the news Thursday, Oct. 14 that their son, brother and uncle was shot two blocks from his home by a man on Irvon Trail.

The events were not confusing to those who witnessed them. The Mountain Enterprise had a reporter at the scene before deputies and the ambulance arrived. Witnesses said Castellano was walking toward his home with his dog after his car broke down at the corner of Irvon Trail in Frazier Park.

As he walked the two blocks to Alcot Trail, Castellano, who was frustrated about his car, kicked some rocks against a metal fence. Dogs across the street began to bark. Castellano’ dog began barking back.

The dog owner across the street came down to his driveway, swearing at…(please see below to view full stories and photographs)

Photo captions:

An ambulance and patrol cars fill Irvon Trail with flashing lights and anxiety as a man shot by a neighbor with a semiautomatic pistol is prepared for transport to the hospital.

Minutes after the arrival of law enforcement (pulled from CHP and other substations), officers detained anyone whose involvement at the scene was unclear. Vincenzo Verrengia (at left) was helping the shooting victim. He was released shortly after this photo was taken.

The man who shot the gun was also located. As we go to press, the district attorney’s office has sent the charges for further investigation. Call 661.861. 3110 with information to assist in the investigation.

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This is part of the October 29, 2021 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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