"I love you; you love me," says Barney the dinosaur, but apparently that maxim does not apply to the son of the creator of the prehistoric children's show star. Patrick Leach, the 27-year-old son of "Barney and Friends" creator Sheryl Leach, was charged with attempted murder, a representative for the Los Angeles Country District Attorney said on Tuesday.
Leach was also arraigned on Tuesday on assault charges.
In January, Leach was arrested after allegedly shooting a 49-year-old man in the chest in Malibu, Calif., and fleeing the scene. According to reports last month, the shooting apparently involved an ongoing dispute between Leach and the man, who is his neighbor.
Leach fled by car and was arrested a couple of miles away, mere minutes after authorities arrived on scene. At the time, police stated that they had recovered evidence on the scene that connected Leach, but even a month later, no actual motive has been released.
Leach is currently free on $1 million bail.
Created by Leach's 60-year-old mother Sheryl, "Barney and Friends" first aired on April 6, 1992. It features the title character Barney, a purple dinosaur -- reportedly a Tyrannosaurus Rex -- who sings and dances through half-hour episodes.
According to Wikipedia, new episodes of the show have not been produced since 2009, with the last new episode airing in 2010; however, reruns continue to air on PBS stations.
Ironically, despite the long-running nature of the show, "Barney and Friends" ranked 50th on TV Guide's 2002 list of the 50 worst TV shows of all time.
Comments