This morning, at about 2:15 a.m., a caregiver at a residence on Whistling Swan near Wetstone, off Barranca Parkway in the Woodbridge neighborhood, called 9-1-1 after discovering his patient was bloody and unresponsive, according to the Irvine Police Department.
When the police officers responded to the house, they found an unoccupied gold Honda minivan that collided with the garage door. They entered the residence and located the victim, who uses a wheelchair for mobility, deceased from apparent stab wounds. He was identified as John “Johnny” Alexander Bash III.
As officers were canvassing the area for the minivan driver, a police officer encountered the registered owner at Stonecreek South and West Yale Loop.
During the exchange, the officer observed the male holding a knife. The male raised the knife and advanced towards the officer when an officer-involved shooting occurred. A knife was recovered at the scene.
The male suspect appears to be the driver of the minivan that crashed into the home and is believed to have killed the victim.
The suspect was transported to a local hospital, where he later died. He was identified as 47-year-old Aaron Matthew Shindle, a previous resident of Tampa, Florida.
Preliminarily, the suspect is a former caregiver for the victim. Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident. They do not believe there are any additional suspects.
In Aug. 14, 2015, at Lake Havasu, a boat stopped to let everyone cool off. Johnny Bash III dove in and hit a 3½-foot-deep sandbar. It broke his neck, and he was instantly paralyzed, unable to move my arms or wiggle a toe, according to Orange Coast Magazine.
Local residents and the police department are in shock that this would happen in what is a relatively safe neighborhood.
Detectives are continuing to investigate the incident and canvas the area for clues. They do not believe that any other suspects were involved.
Anyone who may have witnessed this incident or who has information related to this investigation is asked to contact Detective Rebecca Steen at 949-724-7170 or email rsteen@cityofirvine.org.
