Rural SLO County shooting update: deputies determine self defense

January 20, 2022

By KAREN VELIE

Deputies conducting a preliminarily investigation into the shooting on Tuesday evening near Lake Nacimiento in north San Luis Obispo County have determined 67-year-old Daniel David shot his neighbor 37-year-old Michael Fordyce in self defense.

Initially, an occupant in the home on 14615 Chimney Rock Road reported two trespassers in a car on the property, according to the SLO County Sheriff’s Office.

David then went outside and confronted one of the men in the car. After an argument, David shot at the car with bullets hitting Fordyce in the shoulder and the face, causing non-life threatening injuries.

Fordyce is not cooperating with investigators. David told deputies Fordyce threatened him, causing him to fear for his life. No arrests were made. The investigation is ongoing.

There is a history of alleged violent acts and criminal activity at 14615 Chimney Rock Road.

In early 2018, Adam Macari of Atascadero rented land on Chimney Rock Road from Daniel David for $3,000 a month, Macari said. While he worked on permitting his planned cannabis grow, Macari spent almost $200,000 on a greenhouse, lighting and cultivation equipment.

But before he was able to start growing, in late 2017 Daniel David ordered him to leave the property and then fired one round from a Ruger Mini-30 rifle, Macari said.

David claims he ordered Macari to leave the property because he was illegally growing pot, but said he did not shoot at him.

“I am a skilled Air Force trained killer,” Daniel David said. “If I had shot, he would have died.”

As for the greenhouse, David said Macari abandoned it, so now it is his.

Macari called the SLO County Sheriff’s Office to report the theft, but was told it was a civil matter, Macari said.

Since that time, residents in the area said David has been growing cannabis in the greenhouse, while Fordyce allegedly grows a crop nearby. Neither of the alleged cannabis operations are legally licensed.

In 2021, after taking pictures of marijuana plants in the greenhouse, David and his wife listed the property for sale for $1,197,000. In a Craigslist ad, their real estate agent posted photos of the illegal cannabis plants in the greenhouse on the property while noting cannabis income possibilities.

This action prompted a man who appears to be the true owner of 14615 Chimney Rock Road, Patrick Michaels, to file a lawsuit against Daniel David, seeking to put the property back in his name.

On April 5, 2018, Daniel David filed an interspousal grant deed transferring 14615 Chimney Rock Road “from Daniel David, an unmarried man, hereby grants to Arriela David, a married woman as her sole and separate property,” according to the deed. On the deed, David wrote, “who took title as Patrick Michaels and changed his name.”

Daniel David then transferred two other North County properties, 15750 Natoma Pass Road and 3975 Natoma Pass Road, in the name of Patrick Michaels to his wife Arriela David, while again claiming to have changed his name to Daniel David.

However, David didn’t change his name from Patrick Michaels, a man who lives in the Los Angeles area.

Patrick Michaels’ attorneys Don Lanson and David Hadek filed a suit for fraud, forgery, quiet title, cancellation of deed and declaratory relief against Daniel David and his wife.

The lawsuit stopped an impending sale of 14615 Chimney Rock Road and outraged David. Patrick Michael is asking the court to allow him to move the title back in his name, after which he plans to evict David from the property.

David continues to insist he is a disabled veteran and the real Patrick Michaels. As for the Patrick Michaels who lives in Los Angeles, David claims he is a dangerous criminal, even though there appears to be no evidence.

After Cal Coast News reported on the property ownership and cannabis issues in July 2021, David started calling Cal Coast News demanding to know who had leaked information about his activities, Macari or Fordyce. David also left a half dozen rambling messages accusing Cal Coast News reporters of covering up alleged crimes by Smart & Final and the ACLU, while making veiled threats.

Following are a few statements Daniel David left on multiple voice messages:

“Your messages are very annoying safety wise,” David said. “You don’t know who Daniel David is, it is obvious the way you talk to me and disrespect me. You had better call the police because I discovered something you lied about this morning. You lady, I need to know data on you. I need to know where you live. I need to know your family. You need to be straightened out personally. You have not had an ass kicking in your life.”