At around 11:45PM on Wednesday Appril 17th, San Bernardino Sheriff’s dispatch received a call from a Twentynine Palms man who says he was assaulted and shot at. When deputies arrived a few minutes later at a residence in the 73000 block of Sunnyvale Dr. in Twentynine Palms, they found the victim with injuries to his face and two bullet holes in his vehicle.
According to the Sheriff’s report, the victim says that Walter Scott Merritt followed him to his residence to recover a motorcycle, where Merritt allegedly pistol-whipped the victim in his car before firing one round into his garage door.
Merritt then reportedly used a large knife to flatten both driver side tires on the car. The victim says as they were pulling out of the driveway, Merritt fired another round which hit his vehicle in the trunk.
Walter Scott Merritt allegedly left the scene and was contacted a short time later during a traffic stop where he was arrested for assault w/ a firearm. He’s being held at the West Valley Detention Center on $240,000 bail.
