Felon arrested after standoff

Deputies find 19 weapons in home

By BEATRIZ E. VALENZUELA, Staff Writer

LUCERNE VALLEY • After an hour-long standoff with deputies over the weekend, a local man was arrested for threatening to kill his neighbor and authorities found 19 firearms in his home, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Victor Valley station officials said Monday.

Paul Alan Riddell, 54, was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats, discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, transporting and/or selling an assault weapon and knowingly receiving stolen property.

The victim called deputies on Saturday to report that his neighbor, later identified as Riddell, had threatened to kill him and also fired some shots outside the victim’s home, according to Pam Hoffman, spokeswoman for the Victor Valley station.

Deputies went to Riddell’s home in the 15200 block of Heather Avenue with a search warrant and found Riddell outside in his yard. Riddell reportedly would not comply with deputies’ commands, officials said.

“There was a standoff for over an hour in his front yard until he was detained,” she stated.

Authorities entered his home and found 19 firearms including two assault weapons.

As a parolee, Riddell is forbidden from owning firearms, Hoffman said.

According to San Bernardino County court records, Riddell has previously been arrested for driving under the influence and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Riddell was booked into West Valley Detention Center and was being held on $500,000 bail.

Beatriz E. Valenzuela may be reached at (760) 951-6276 or at BValenzuela@VVDailyPress.com.