Assault charges against Porterville man amended to homicide after victim dies

Criminal charges against a Porterville man suspected of assault against an elderly man last month have been amended to include homicide after the victim passed away earlier this week.

On September 20 at approximately 12:40 a.m., Porterville Police officers responded to a residence in the 1500 block of West River Avenue for a reported assault. The 65-year-old victim, Scott Shirley, reported being assaulted by Stephen Penic three days earlier on September 17.

Shirley had visible injuries consistent with his report of being physically assaulted and was transported by ambulance to Sierra View Medical Center for treatment. Stephen Penic was located and arrested soon thereafter, then booked into the custody of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office for assault and elder abuse.

Later in the day on September 20 at approximately 9:30 p.m., PPD was notified that Shirley’s health had declined and he was being transported to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, as they are a Level 1 trauma center and better suited to treat him. The decision was made after determining Scott Shirley had sustained major internal injuries as a result of the reported assault.

On Monday at approximately 4 p.m. the Porterville Police Department was notified that Scott Shirley had died, with the injuries sustained from the assault being contributing factors to his death. Stephen Penic, who was still in the custody of the Tulare County Sheriff Office from the original arrest, had his charges amended to include homicide.

This is the second homicide of the year investigated by the Porterville Police Department. Anyone with information regarding this matter is urged to contact Corporal Mike Gray at (559) 782-7400.