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Police: OC Man Assaulted Neighbor Over Noisy Generator During Blackout

SANTA ANA (CBS) — A San Juan Capistrano man is behind bars Friday after allegedly assaulting his neighbor with a flashlight over a noisy generator during a blackout that left thousands of local homes without power.

Peter Quill, 45, is accused of hitting his neighbor, Anthony Morales, over the head with a flashlight after complaining about the loud hum of a generator he was using during the widespread power outage, authorities said.

Neighbors say Morales is a Los Angeles firefighter.

Quill reportedly confronted Morales on the 27800 block of Via Estancia shortly before 11 p.m. on Thursday and asked that he turn off the generator due to the excessive noise, said Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino.

When Morales refused repeated requests, Quill then allegedly returned to Morales' home with a flashlight and attempted to turn off the generator himself, said Amormino.

Morales was hospitalized with lacerations and a possible concussion, said Amormino.

Residents in Orange County used gas generators to power their homes overnight during the outage that lasted through early Friday morning, according to officials.

Quill was booked into Men's Central Jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, Amormino said. He is being held on $25,000 bail.

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