Rancho Mirage Man Sprays Friend’s Suicidal Husband with Pepper Spray, Say Police

George F. Schaefer, a 60-year-old man from Rancho Mirage, has been arrested for assault after pepper spraying his friend’s son and husband during a distressing incident, according to reports from the Maricopa Police Department.

The arrest occurred on August 22, when Schaefer was booked into the Pinal County jail. The police were called to a residence on West San Clemente Street, where they discovered a man exhibiting prominent red blotches on his face and chest, evidence of the pepper spray.

Upon investigation, officers found the injured man’s son with his mother in the garage, who corroborated the events leading to the pepper spray incident. She identified Schaefer as a friend of the family.

Witnesses recounted that the woman’s husband confronted Schaefer after he made an inappropriate comment about her. Following the confrontation, the husband retreated to his bedroom only to encounter Schaefer again when he approached his bedroom door. According to police reports, Schaefer then pepper sprayed both the husband and his minor son. Additionally, he allegedly advanced on them armed with a baton.

Intervention from an unidentified witness prevented further escalation, as they rushed to separate Schaefer from the victims. Schaefer later claimed the use of pepper spray was in self-defense, asserting that the husband was attempting to break into his bedroom. However, police found no evidence of forced entry to support his defense.

The situation escalated when it was reported that the pepper-sprayed man had gone upstairs with a knife and was in a suicidal state, although he eventually came downstairs without it. Schaefer previously pleaded guilty to separate violence charges in Maricopa Municipal Court in November, and now faces up to six months in jail along with a $2,500 fine.