Records Shed New Light on Isla Vista Shooter

Elliot Rodger called 911 after his roommate allegedly stole candles, claimed he was beat up at Goleta house party in separate incident

New records obtained by the NBC4 I-team shed new light on the troubled life of Elliot Rodger, the man behind last month’s shooting rampage in Isla Vista.

One of the records shows Rodger had one of his roommates arrested, four months before stabbing him to death at the beginning of his rampage.

Rodger called 911 after he said roommate Cheng Yuan Hong had stolen candles from his bedroom.

Officers showed up, and after talking to the two men arrested Hong for the petty theft of $22 worth of candles. Hong was taken to jail and warned not to further harass Rodger or face additional charges.

The records describe an ongoing dispute between the two men over what they say were the disappearances of small household items.

The records also describe a violent altercation Rodger had with a group of four other men in July of 2013. Authorities at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital informed police that a patient there had suffered a number of injuries he claimed was the result of a beating.

When officers interviewed Rodger, records show he told police he was at a party at a home on Del Playa Drive in Goleta, when he was involved in an argument with four other men. Rodger then said the argument turned physical and he was pushed off a 10-foot high ledge onto the sidewalk below.

According to the report, Rodger then said a group of 10 men followed him and began kicking and punching him. During the assault, Rodger alleged, his attackers used a gay slur.

Officers began investigating what they believed was a hate crime.

The investigating officer then appears skeptical of Rodger’s account, saying “Rodger .. appeared to not be forthcoming with me. He … would not go into great detail about what had occurred.”

The records show additional investigation led officers to a witness, who told police it was Rodger who was the aggressor, attempting to push women off a ledge. The witness told police after attempting to push the women, Rodger jumped off the ledge and ran away until others from the party caught up with him.

The witness told the officer “(Rodger’s) demeanor was strange and he did not appear to be socializing with people at the party.”

The report says Rodger sustained injuries to both forearms and elbows. His face was also swollen with other injuries to his face, back, and left ankle.

According to the documents, Rodger’s father Peter Rodger, a film director and photographer, spoke to tenants who lived upstairs from the home where the party took place, who told him they were not home at the time of the alleged assault.
 

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