10 News:
Within the past week, Vilkin said that Upton had threatened him and that he called the San Diego Sheriff's Department to report it. That incident was the reason he had a gun with him when he went back to his property Thursday, said Vilkin.
Vilkin said Upton was obsessive about privacy and had demanded he not cut the greenery, even though Vilkin said the greenery is on Vilkin's property.
10News called the sheriff's Homicide Unit to confirm Vilkin's story, but they said they were not commenting on the matter.
On the day of the shooting, Vilkin said he was trying to cut some shrubbery on his own property, but Upton came out of his house and confronted him.
According to Vilkin, Upton pulled out a gun and told him to stop cutting.
Vilkin, who was also armed, said he pulled out his own weapon and shot Upton once in the stomach. To his surprise, Vilkin said Upton kept coming at him and that's when he said he shot Upton gain, this time in the head.
"I shot him; you know, I predicted him to fall immediately because this is a .44-caliber Magnum. He did not, he did two or three steps toward me and then I shot him in the head," Vilkin said.
"It was self-defense; I did not go to him. He came to me threatening and pulled a gun at me. I did not go to him. I stayed away on my property," Vilkin added.
Gun play over trimming of plants? Can't we all just get along?
ReplyDeleteWhy did Upton go onto Vilkin's property? Who was the aggressor here? Did the Sheriff recover a second gun? Lots of questions.
ReplyDeleteVilkin was on the land that is an easment to the house that upton was renting. Look at the land footprint
DeleteNo second gun thought to be found.
ReplyDeleteSeveral months ago I saw a man drive onto Mr. Vilkin's property and engage in a hostile argument. The man was very, very angry to the point that it seemed he could get violent and I was worried for Mr. Vilkin's safety. Mr. Vilkin seemed to stay calm without raising his voice throughout this and the man eventually got into his truck and zoomed off. I have no idea if the other man was Mr. Upton, but the episode, at least in that instance, speaks to Mr. Vilkin's ability to remain calm and prevent a confrontation from escalating.
ReplyDeletePlease get in touch with Mr. Vilkin's attorney when he gets one. Facts like that are incredibly relevant to the case.
DeleteVilkin said in the 10 news interview that he isn't going to retain an attorney because he is innocent.
DeleteIt was reported that Upton had recently purchased a ranch in Vista and was planning to move on Friday. If he was renting, why would he even care about the tree trimming?
There are too few facts to draw any conclusions, other than the killer is in keep trouble. If there is no 2nd gun, he goes to the big house for 20 or 30 years. People are claiming that he has shown calm demeanour, but blasing a guy with a 44 mag speaks otherwise.
ReplyDeletedeep
Deleteblasting
Thanks for updating this. I live on Lone Jack and was really curious to what the hell was going on.
ReplyDeleteVilkin has a long history of antagonizing his neighbors on Jackie Lane (Lone Jack). He has illegally dumped thousands of tons of dirt on his property with no grading permits or civil engineering. His lot, as well as the surrounding lots have very unstable soils. In fact an adjoining house collapsed a few years ago. Vilkin has also conducted numerous illegal brush burns, endangering his neighbor's homes. He has had confrontations with several neighbors, and is considered by them to be a nuisance.
ReplyDeleteLooks like the judge didn't buy one bit of the 'self defense' claim... $5,000,000.00 bail!
ReplyDeleteLets all be clear here. If you look at the aerial footage, the trees and shrubbery look like they are part of the land that is the front yard of the home that upton rented. Why would that be? You may ask. Well because what vilkin is saying was his land is an easment for which all the neighbors homes had prescriptive or usage type rights. Moreover, his lot was subject to geological issues for which he had no foreseeable permits to build anything on. For what reason then was he cutting trees or shrubs on the easment that he firstly had no right to do, despite his " ownership". On a few occasions the police and fire department had been called on vilkin. This was premeditative obtrusive lying in waiting cold hearted murder. Lets not act confused about this. A 44 magnum is beyond questionable in regards to motive.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking that the area in question is technically actually in the back of the Upton property, with the front yard facing Jackie Lane. At least that is what it looks like. Regardless, completely agree with your observations. It's an easement, hence it is probably not Vilkin's, or at least he does not have exclusive rights over it. I could make the case he might need to clear the area, IF, he has development plans pending and approval of those plans requires construction traffic to enter and exit through that easement. That COULD happen, and a huge IF but... that is a long way from explaining taking out a gun and shooting someone
DeleteThat Russian guy is looking at spending the rest of his life--from the moment the cops arrived at the crime scene and took him into custody, in prison--until his last dying breath. He will never build his dream home or whatever on that lot, he will lose that lot to either his attorney to cover his legal fees or to the Upton family in a wrongful death case, and that is it--and for what???? There is no excuse. No justification. No spin can ever justify that senseless taking of the life of another man. The guy is an obvious quack that needed to be taken off the streets.
DeleteTo be clear Upton was found on his own property also the shot to the head was in the back of his head upton was walking away from the shooter
ReplyDeleteTo me its weird that all the neighbors even know the guy when he in fact isn't a neighbor at all. He just owns a lot in the neigborhood. What a freak to hang on and around a vacant lot day in and day out for years on end hand grading a pad, bringing in mini truckloads of dirt from heaven knows where (graves?). A person like that might be capable of a man in cold blood.
ReplyDeleteNone of us knows enough about the facts of this case to even have an opinion because the Press is known to be biased and report inaccurately. Read multiple sources and compare. The victim's humanitarian deeds over twenty years ago have nothing to do with the facts of this case. The memorial service is the place for that. Most of the comments here are to slander the accused and smells of being coached by the victims family. Just as the victim had a right to live, the accused has a right to a fair trial....or anyway, that's the way it used to be...before we became "a gun totin', stand your ground, I feel threaten so I can kill ya' society sponsored by the GUN CABAL. Guns everywhere! Guns in churches?...come on. I don't know about you... but I'm packin" even when I go to my mail box on the street to get my mail because it's my 2nd amendment right...RIGHT? (satire)
DeleteThe victim's humanitarian deeds provide context to the story.
DeleteYakoff Smirnoff needs to add some levity to the argument - maybe the Rooskie thought the Cosaks were invading? Gulag 13 awaits this gun totin' Rooskie - maybe he needed cortisone for his itchy trigger finger?
ReplyDeleteIn Soviet Union, pacifist neighbor shoots you!
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