Court date set for plea in firearms charge

A 66-year-old Johnson Lane man who had more than 100 firearms removed from his house is set to plead Nov. 30 in District Court to attempted assault with a deadly weapon.

In exchange for a guilty plea, the state agreed to drop four other charges against William Calebaugh, arrested Sept. 30 after he allegedly fired rounds from an assault rifle into a door and floor of a bedroom where he believed his wife had been hiding.

According to reports, the woman left the room through a sliding glass door and drove from the residence before the shots were fired.

The charges are not to be dismissed until Calebaugh is sentenced in District Court.

He waived his right Wednesday in East Fork Justice Court to a preliminary hearing.

Lawyer Chuck Zumpft asked Judge Tom Perkins if Calebaugh could remove an alcohol monitor. He said his client had completed a 14-day inpatient treatment program and was in counseling.

Perkins refused the request.

"It's a tough time of year for people who drank," Perkins said. "You don't want to take a chance on that with these felonies facing you."

Calebaugh was arrested in front of his home in the 1200 block of Saddlebronc the afternoon of the incident.

Deputies responded to a call that shots had been fired inside the home about 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 30. Calebaugh came out of the residence unarmed and was taken into custody without incident shortly after officers arrived.

He admitted firing 20 rounds in the floor from a "mini-14-inch rifle."

Calebaugh reportedly told investigators he didn't want to kill or hurt his wife, only scare her.

He reportedly had been drinking vodka for two days. His blood-alcohol content was .256, more than three times the legal limit for driving.

Deputies removed 106 firearms including 45 in a locked gun safe.

He was charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm; possession of a firearm with a blood-alcohol content of .10 or greater; disorderly conduct, drawing a weapon in a deadly manner.

In November 2009, Calebaugh was accused of threatening his wife with a .45-caliber handgun. At that time, he told the judge he had disposed of the firearms.

Calebaugh is out on bail under the supervision of the Department of Alternative Sentencing. Officers have permission to search and remove any weapons or alcohol from his home.