Photo: Acea Henderson
A son’s second attack on his father in two days has left the youth in jail and the elder in hospital. Acea Henderson, aged 18, of Gualala, California, first assaulted his father on November 9, 2018, at which time his father refused to agree to prosecute a case against him.
The following day, an argument between father and son in the front yard of the family’s house on South Highway 1 in Gualala found Acea Henderson hitting his father, Eugene Henderson, in the head with a shovel.
After the shovel assault, Acea Henderson broke into his father’s car, grabbed a .22 caliber rifle and fired at least one round at Eugene Henderson, aged 47, striking the elder in the upper chest. The ammunition exited through Henderson’s armpit and entered into his left bicep. Acea then put down the weapon, told witnesses that he would wait for the deputies to arrive, and left the scene.
Witnesses present at the time of the November 10th altercation alerted Mendocino County authorities. A third family member transported Henderson to Redwood Coast Medical Services Clinic.
Fearing that Acea would return and resume shooting, a witness hid the rifle. The son did return to look for the weapon, but left again after not finding it. Another witness reported seeing Acea shortly after the assault, but Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputies were not able to locate him until the following day, November 11th.
Deputies located the son at a residence on Pacific Woods Road in Gualala at about 10:08 AM on Veterans’ Day, whence he was taken into custody without incident, and transported and booked into Mendocino County Jail on charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Acea Henderson was being held on a bail of $250,000.
Eugene Henderson, the father, was transported by ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital in Sonoma County, where he was listed in stable condition.
