Updated: Sheriff's Reserve Sergeant Beaten in RSM Home, Son in Custody

By Martin Henderson and Peter Schelden

An Orange County Sheriff Reserve officer was clinging to life Wednesday after being beaten in his Rancho Santa Margarita home.

A 17-year-old boy, identified as a “person of interest” by the Orange County Sheriff's Department, was taken into custody in Los Angeles County’s City Terrace at about 1:30 p.m. He was spotted by California Highway Patrol initially at the 605 and 5 freeways, and pulled over on Gage Ave.

No weapons were found in the boy's vehicle.

Neighbors have identified the boy as the son of Reserve Sgt. Jon Kudla, who volunteers his time with the Orange County Sheriff's Department as part of its Reserve program.

Kudla, 50, was found unconscious Wednesday morning by his mother, who also lives at the residence along with Kudla's three sons.

The boy is a junior at Trabuco Hills High School, which was locked down after deputies received a tip that he might be at the Mission Viejo school. The lockdown was lifted by 1 p.m., according to an OCSD spokesperson.

Wednesday evening, authorities were awaiting a warrant to conduct a search of the two-story house just off Robinson Ranch Road.

Investigators indicated they are not looking for any other person in connection with the attack.

Lt. Brian Schmutz, chief of police services in Rancho Santa Margarita, said the incident was not random.

"There's absolutely no danger to the community or area residents at this time," Schmutz said. "This incident was confined to this residence. All parties involved in this incident were known to each other."

According to OCSD spokesman Jim Amormino, the man was discovered at about 9:30 a.m., unconscious with severe head wounds. Initially it was not known how he received them—whether he had fallen or had been involved in an accident.

Doctors attending to the man indicated that the wounds might have been caused by a beating with a blunt object, reportedly a hammer. According to Amormino, the man may have been shot as well. Early reports indicated that the man was shot and that his blond son was carrying a handgun while driving a black Volkswagen convertible.

At 1 p.m., the California Highway Patrol spotted a vehicle matching the Volkswagen's description near the I-5/605 interchange, Krause said.