Former caregiver accused of killing paralyzed man, CA cops say. ‘He had no chance’
A former caregiver stabbed a paralyzed man to death, then was fatally shot by police, California authorities say.
The man’s current caregiver called 911 shortly after 2 a.m. Monday, Aug. 5, when he found his patient, who uses a wheelchair, “bloody and unresponsive,” the Irvine Police Department said in a news release.
Officers arrived to find a minivan crashed into the garage and found the man, identified as John Alexander Bash III, 38, stabbed to death inside the home, police said.
As officers canvassed the area, they found the van’s registered owner about a block away from the home, police said.
The man, later identified as Aaron Matthew Shindle, 47, was raising a knife as he “advanced toward” an officer and “an officer-involved shooting occurred,” police said.
Shindle was taken to a hospital, where he later died, police said.
Shindle was identified as the minivan’s driver, as well as the suspect in Bash’s death, police said, adding that an investigation is ongoing.
“We’re a little shocked that something like this would happen in our neighborhood,” Irvine resident Ron Blakeslee told KTTV.
Lindsey Myers, Bash’s brother-in-law, told ABC 7 News that Bash “was confined to a wheelchair” after an accident left him with a spinal injury years ago.
“He had no chance, no chance to defend himself,” Myers told KTLA 5 News. “It’s the saddest thing I’ve ever, ever seen.”
Myers told the Los Angeles Times that the family has not interacted with Shindle since he “was Bash’s caregiver more than five years ago.”
“Everybody’s just in total shock that this guy would come and murder a helpless victim,” Myers told the newspaper.
Myers described Bash as “an excellent person” in an interview with KTLA 5 News.
A friend echoed the sentiment in a Facebook post.
“The world is empty without your spirit, drive and personality,” the friend wrote.
