SAN DIEGO—A Rancho Bernardo man whose teenage son allegedly threatened to shoot up his high school was ordered Friday to stand trial on 40 felony and misdemeanor counts related to the alleged manufacturing and ownership of unserialized firearms and assault weapons.
Neal James Anders, 46, was arrested after his 14-year-old son allegedly made threats to carry out a shooting earlier this year at Rancho Bernardo High School.
In investigating the threat allegations, prosecutors said police searched the family’s home and a storage facility and found “an arsenal of weapons” that included rifles, pistols, flamethrowers, and items that can be used to assemble firearms.
Anders was initially charged with around two dozen counts, but a new criminal complaint filed this week charged him with 41 felony and misdemeanor counts, including charges of manufacturing assault weapons, possession of destructive devices, possession of assault weapons and manufacturing of handguns lacking serial numbers. He was bound over for trial on all but one of the counts at the conclusion of a preliminary hearing held Friday.
Police witnesses testified at the hearing that following the threat allegedly made by Anders’ son, two searches were conducted of the Anders’ home.
The first was to ensure the firearms were secured and that the Anders’ son did not have access to them, while the second search occurred after it was discovered that several of the firearms seized from the family’s home were unserialized and self-made, which is commonly referred to as “ghost guns.”
Prosecutors have argued the weapons were accessible to Anders’ children and that his son allegedly told other students that he had access to the guns because a lock securing the firearms was broken.
Anders’ attorney, Gregory Garrison, largely disputed the manufacturing charges at Friday’s hearing, arguing there was no evidence definitively proving that Anders made the guns or used any of the items found at his home to assemble firearms. Garrison also argued that if Anders did assemble the weapons, there was no evidence proving they were assembled in California, where such firearms are illegal.
Anders remains out of custody on certain conditions, including prohibitions against owning firearms or any items that could be used to manufacture or assemble firearms.
