An East County man who allegedly threatened the lives of deputies at his home before hurling metal projectiles at them pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 10 counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer.
Robert Khazin, 40, also faces misdemeanor charges of making a false report of an emergency and phoning emergency personnel to harass. He was ordered held on $400,000 bail.
Khazin called the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department about 6:30 a.m. Monday and allegedly made statements about killing any law enforcement personnel who went to his home on Greenwick Place in the unincorporated Cottonwood area, south of El Cajon, Sgt. Karla Taft said.
Deputies went to the residence, where they found the suspect in his driveway and tried to speak with him. Khazin responded by shouting at them and making further threats of violence before retreating into the house, according to Taft.
At that point, Khazin allegedly armed himself with a makeshift slingshot loaded with a 2 1/2-pound metal weight and used a tube to hurl ball bearings at the patrol personnel. He then tried to escape through his back yard.
The deputies then unleashed a service dog, which subdued the suspect and allowed them to take him into custody.
Khazin will be back in court Jan. 14 for a readiness conference and Jan. 21 for a preliminary hearing. He faces more than 18 years in prison if convicted, according to Deputy District Attorney Michael Reilly.
— City News Service
