Son of ‘Barney the Dinosaur’ Creator Charged with Attempted Murder

TMZ is reporting that Patrick Leach, 27, son of Barney the Dinosaur creator Sheryl Leach, has been arraigned facing charges of attempted murder and assault.

Leach was reported, by local Malibu newspaper The Acorn, to have shot a man in the chest in Malibu on January 9 and fled the scene. There now appears to be enough evidence for police to arraign 29-year-old Leach on charges. He posted a $1 million dollar bail on the day he was charged and is currently free. Leach has been set a date of March 18 for a preliminary hearing. The maximum penalty Leach faces is life imprisonment.

The Malibu Times reported at the time that incident occurred because of a “trespassing issue.”

Sheryl Leach Pictured with her Creation Barney.

Patrick Leach was arrested by police after allegedly shooting his next door neighbor, Eric Shanks, 49, in the chest in Malibu. Shanks suffered a non-life threatening bullet and exit wound. Not long after attempting escape in his black SUV, Leach was apprehended by law enforcement in Agoura Hills, Califonia. Shanks was treated for his wound at UCLA Medical Center, he is making a full-recovery.

Both were residents of the luxurious, beach-side, West Winding Way community in Malibu. Trulia.com lists the average price of a property in the area at $5,728,663.

The West Winding Way Neighborhood in Malibu, California

A Los Angeles District Attorney Press Release read:

It was alleged in the complaint that the defendant used a handgun to commit the crime and that the victim suffered great bodily injury

Patrick’s mother, Sheryl, created the Barney the Dinosaur phenomenon in 1987 on public access. A native of Dallas, Texas, Sheryl’s creation became the biggest children’s star of the 1990s. The series ceased to produce new episodes in 2009. Previously Sheryl lived with her son in Warren, Connecticut. Patrick had previously been listed as the inspiration for the purple dinosaur thanks to his interest in T-Rex’s as a toddler.