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'Barney' Co-Creator's Son Arrested For Allegedly Shooting Neighbor

MALIBU (AP) — The son of a co-creator of the long-running children's show "Barney and Friends" was arrested for allegedly shooting a Malibu neighbor, authorities said.

Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Thursday the Jan. 9 arrest of Patrick Leach, 27, and subsequent release on $1 million bail has neighbors worried.

There will be extra monitoring in the area, but authorities don't expect any more trouble, Whitmore said.

The shooting allegedly involved an ongoing dispute, which Whitmore declined to detail.

The bullet from the .45-caliber gun entered the victim's chest and exited his shoulder, leaving him in critical condition, Whitmore said, but he's expected to recover.

Leach allegedly fled by car and was arrested a couple miles away, minutes after authorities arrived on scene.

Leach is the son of Sheryl Leach, co-creator of the popular PBS show about a purple dinosaur who plays and sings with children. Each episode ends with Barney singing, to the tune of a nursery rhyme.

Attempts to locate a representative of Patrick Leach were not immediately successful Thursday evening.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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