Charges Filed Against Murrieta Man Accused Of Attacking Neighbor With Sword

MURRIETA, CA — A probationer living in Murrieta was charged Monday with assault with a deadly weapon and other offenses after he allegedly attacked his neighbor with a sword.

Along with the assault count, Michael John Keen, 41, was charged with false imprisonment, vandalism, and probation violations. He is slated to make his initial court appearance on Monday afternoon. He is jailed at the Byrd Detention Center in lieu of $200,000 bail.

The investigation into Keen began just after 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 11., when the Murrieta Police Department received a call about an assault with a deadly weapon at Madison Park Condominiums located at 24909 Madison Avenue. The complex is within walking distance of the Murrieta Police Department.

Once at the condo complex, police officers were met by a man suffering from non-life-threatening laceration wounds to the face and hand.

The victim said there was an altercation with his neighbor, Keen, who lives directly across from him, according to a Murrieta Police Department press release.

"During the altercation, Keen allegedly swung a sword at his neighbor, striking him across the face and hand," the press release reported.

The victim, whose identity was not released, fled to a nearby residence to get help. He was later transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital.

Meanwhile, Keen remained inside his condo and barricaded his doors and windows, according to police.

Officers tried to de-escalate the situation by communicating with Keen using a loudspeaker. A SWAT team was called, and after hours of negotiations, the law enforcement officers entered Keen's condo unit. He was quickly apprehended, and no injuries were reported.

A search warrant was issued for Keen's condo unit, where officers turned up a sword allegedly used in the attack, according to Murrieta police.

Court records show Keen has prior convictions in Riverside County for making criminal threats and violating a restraining order. He additionally has separate convictions in another jurisdiction that weren't listed.