Authorities in Los Angeles County allege that Freddy Snyder fatally shot Caltech astrophysicist Carl Grillmair in Antelope Valley after a series of escalating events that began with a domestic dispute.

According to prosecutors, on February 16 Snyder armed himself with two rifles and demanded his mother’s car keys at their shared home in Llano, a rural community in the Mojave Desert.When she refused, he allegedly fired a gunshot into the ceiling before taking the keys and driving away in her vehicle.

Investigators say Snyder then drove to the nearby residence of 67-year-old Carl Grillmair, a scientist affiliated with Caltech’s IPAC Science & Data Center.Grillmair reportedly stepped onto his porch to investigate activity outside his home when Snyder allegedly shot him once in the neck, killing him.Authorities have stated that the two men did not know each other and that a clear motive has not been established.Snyder has pleaded not guilty to charges including murder, carjacking, and first-degree residential burglary.He is being held on approximately $3.2 million bail and faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors also noted that weeks before the killing, Snyder may have been present on or near Grillmair’s property during an earlier incident in December, when he was found carrying a rifle near the area and was later charged with firearm-related offenses.

Court records indicate Snyder was previously released on his own recognizance after earlier charges were dropped and was ordered to complete a hunter safety course.Additional allegations included an attempted jail escape, though law enforcement later disputed having records of such an incident.Snyder’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 5 at the Antelope Valley Courthouse as the case continues to proceed through the legal system.Grillmair, originally from Canada, was a longtime Caltech researcher who contributed to major NASA telescope projects during his career.