Mansion Shooting: History of Violence, Depression
A man who was shot by his father was accused in a violent hate crime, court documents reveal.
By MICHELLE WAYLAND
Updated 6:37 PM PST, Wed, Sep 9, 2009
Thomas Blackmore carried a two-gallon container of gasoline to his parent's exclusive Rancho Santa Fe mansion, assaulted his mother and attacked his elderly millionaire father, detectives said.
The confrontation ended after the 40-year-old’s father allegedly grabbed a shotgun and opened fire.
The son was airlifted from his parents' sprawling estate at 17380 Via Recanto Monday after being shot in the leg with a shotgun, San Diego County Sheriff's Deputies said. He died Tuesday at Scripps Hospital, La Jolla.
According to court records, Thomas Blackmore had a criminal past, which included accusations of a hate crime. He was supposed to be in court on Tuesday.
Thomas Blackmore, his wife and two young children lived in a Carmel Valley home up until a few months ago when the family put it on the market.
"A few days ago, he was here. My husband talked to him because the house was sold," said neighbor Lien Yung, who had known Thomas Blackmore for about 3 years. "He was a normal American guy with a family and he really cared for his kids."
But court records obtained by NBC San Diego paint a different picture of the commercial real estate broker. On Apr. 2, Blackmore was accused of a violent hate crime involving a 62-year-old Middle Eastern woman and her adult son.
A family member of the victims, who asked us not to identify the family, said Blackmore followed the 62-year-old woman to her home in Fairbanks Highlands. When she stopped her car, he began yelling racial slurs and the woman's son came outside to help his mother.
The family member said Blackmore punched and kicked the victims, knocking out the woman's front teeth and breaking the nose of her adult son. The family member also said Blackmore appeared to be heavily intoxicated.
Blackmore had a history of depression and substance abuse and was in a psychiatric ward this weekend after detectives said he threatened to kill himself.
Court records also show that he got a DUI in 2002.
First Published: Sep 9, 2009 8:27 AM PST
You Might Like
You have 2000 characters left
