District Attorney’s Office Offers Update on Alleged Zuma Gunman

0
524
An array of weapons carried by suspect Kyle Kiddy at Zuma Beach on April 11

The LA District Attorney’s Office filed charges against alleged Zuma Beach gunman Kyle Kiddy shortly after he was arrested by LA County Sheriff’s deputies on April 11. Those charges included four counts of a concealed weapon and six counts of possessing a loaded weapon on his person or in his vehicle. All of these charges are at the misdemeanor level; bail was set at $60,000.

Sheriff’s deputies were initially called to the beach after Kiddy was accused of harassing a woman and making lewd remarks. Law enforcement soon noticed he was carrying a concealed rifle under his trench coat. When deputies searched Kiddy, they found he also had three pistols attached to his waist—all loaded. The deputies’ search of Kiddy’s car revealed additional shotguns and between 1,200 and 1,500 rounds of ammunition.

Kiddy, 34, a native of Riverside County, remained in police custody as of latest confirmation. He was initially booked into the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, but later transferred to the Twin Towers Correctional facility in downtown LA—the world’s largest jail as well as the nation’s largest mental health facility. Kiddy underwent psychiatric evaluation by medical personnel; he had no previous criminal record.

Kiddy pleaded “not guilty”to the charges. Deputy District Attorney Jane Creighton told The Malibu Times Kiddy was scheduled to return to court May 3, but missed that date. His matter was trialed to May 17, 2021, but on that date the matter was continued to June 15, 2021, “so his lawyer can look into his mental health,” Creighton said.

When asked why the charges against Kiddy were misdemeanors, Creighton wrote in an email that “Those are the charges that fit the facts as we know them. 

“There is no evidence that he threatened anyone with the weapons, or made any statements that he intended (and or planned) to use the guns in an illegal manner,” Creighton continued. “The weapons were obtained legally, and the defendant is not a person prohibited from owning or possessing guns, such as a felon with a firearm.”

The LA County Sheriff’s Department does not release booking photos (also known as mugshots), even if they receive a public records request, unless the photo is needed to help solve a case. There is no known photo of Kyle Kiddy, but he was described as six feet tall and 180 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair.