SANTA ANA, California
An Orange County man was arrested Monday on a federal grand jury indictment alleging he repeatedly fired a rifle at an Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter after his birthday party acrimoniously ended earlier this year, officials stated.
Justin Derek Jennings, 39, of Laguna Niguel, is charged with one count of attempting to damage, destroy, or disable an aircraft.
Jennings pleaded not guilty to the charge against him in federal court. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
A federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed without bond and scheduled an August 5 trial date.
According to court documents and the indictment that a grand jury returned on June 5, Jennings and his family were celebrating his birthday party on March 9.
Jennings had allegedly been drinking and became enraged.
As his outburst escalated, family members in attendance left the home.
After most of his family left, Jennings allegedly removed a rifle from his gun safe and fired an entire magazine worth of ammunition inside the home. The rest of Jennings’ family fled and reported the incident to law enforcement.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department responded with several deputies and a police helicopter that flew in circles around the area.
Jennings allegedly then went to the home’s second story and began shooting a rifle upwards in the sky, firing only when the helicopter was visible to him.
The shooting continued intermittently for at least 20 minutes, court documents state. Jennings exited the residence and surrendered after speaking with an Orange County sheriff’s deputy.
During a search of Jennings’ residence, law enforcement seized two revolvers, two handguns, and two rifles, along with multiple rounds of ammunition. Bullet casings were scattered throughout the floor, and law enforcement also seized two magazines and a box of ammunition that was on a couch beneath the window from where Jennings allegedly fired.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office charged Jennings in connection with this incident but dismissed the case so the federal case against him could proceed.
If convicted, Jennings faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin J. Campbell of the Santa Ana Branch Office prosecutes this case.