K-9 nabs suspect, marking the dog’s first attempted murder
arrest
Hollister – San Benito County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a San Juan Bautista man Friday for attempting to murder his landlord with a machete after learning that he was being evicted.
Deputies arrested Timothy McCoy, 34, of 1391 Chittenden Road, for felony attempted murder on Friday at 11pm after he swung an 18-inch machete at his landlord and threatened to kill him, according to Undersheriff Pat Turturici. Deputies responded to the home on Chittenden Road after the victim called 911, but McCoy had already fled the scene. The victim had minor injuries to his face and foot from wrestling with McCoy, but was not stabbed, according to police.
The incident stemmed from a verbal argument between McCoy and the victim, which escalated after McCoy headbutted the victim, then ran to get a machete from behind a nearby furnace. He swung the long knife at the victim several times before his father, who McCoy lived with, took it from him, Turturici said. The victim grabbed a nearby shovel to fight back, striking McCoy in the side, before locking himself in the bathroom.
Although McCoy’s father wrestled the machete away from McCoy before he attacked, McCoy got in a few swings at the victim and said “I’m going to kill you,” according to Turturici.
Police do not know why McCoy was being evicted or if McCoy and the victim had prior landlord/tenant arguments. However, McCoy’s father later told police that his son was intoxicated at the time of the fight.
“McCoy was enraged and going after him with a machete – the victim was running for his life trying to fight this off,” Sheriff Curtis Hill said.
Deputy Matt Soto and his partner, Deputy Dix, a trained police dog, later tracked down McCoy hiding near the home and arrested him, Turturici said.
“Suspects have no chance of running from Deputy Dix,” Hill said.
It was Dix’s first attempted murder arrest, Turturici said.
McCoy is being held at the San Benito County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail. McCoy had no prior bookings.
If convicted of attempted murder, he could face up to 9 years in prison.
