Fight ends with homeowner putting 71-year-old in deadly chokehold, California cops say

A homeowner was arrested after being accused of killing a 71-year-old man, California police said.

On Jan. 1, officers responded to a property in Landers after receiving a medical aid call. They found the homeowner, later identified as William Durst, 54, of Santa Monica, and Jeffrey Cull, the 71-year-old man who lived at the property, according to a Jan. 2 news release by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Cull was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

After investigating, officers learned Durst had gone to his property and “attempted to force Cull to leave,” officials said. Cull refused so the two started arguing, officials said.

Durst is then accused of spraying Cull with bear spray and putting him in a chokehold, the sheriff’s office said.

Cull lost consciousness and died from his injury, officials said.

Durst was arrested and booked into the Morongo Basin jail on a murder charge, authorities said.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 909-890-4904.

Landers is about 130 miles east of Los Angeles.

This story was originally published January 3, 2024 at 4:22 PM with the headline "Fight ends with homeowner putting 71-year-old in deadly chokehold, California cops say."