MENDOCINO CO., 3/15/26 – A 32-year-old Willits man was arrested Friday in Branscomb, just west of Laytonville, on suspicion of shooting a man in the head.
The bullet grazed the 68-year-old victim, leaving him with a superficial wound, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s deputies were called to the 11700 block of Branscomb Road around noon by the victim, who identified the suspect as Brandon Lee Langenderfer.
The victim told deputies he was outside his residence when Langenderfer allegedly approached him and shot him before running into a wooded area.
Around 4 p.m., a vehicle Langenderfer was believed to be using was spotted in the 6900 block of Branscomb Road by a member of Cal Fire’s law enforcement division.
A drone was used to search the area, and Langenderfer and a 31-year-old Willits woman, identified as Miranda Marie Mullins, were found hiding in tall brush, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The two were arrested and booked into the Mendocino County Jail on various charges. Langenderfer was booked on suspicion of attempted homicide and multiple felonies, while Mullins was arrested on an out-of-state warrant and other charges.
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