Piercy man held in shooting death of brother

A Piercy man shot and killed his brother during an argument about their father, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reported Thursday.

Anthony Lawrence Fragale, 23, has been booked into the Mendocino County Jail on suspicion of murder for killing Carl Anthony Fragale, 28, sheriff’s officials said.

Carl Fragale earlier in the day had confronted Anthony Fragale while they were working in a 120-plant marijuana garden being cultivated by the brothers, their father and a friend in northeastern Mendocino County, just south of the Humboldt County line, sheriff’s officials said. Carl Fragale accused his brother of disrespecting their father, officials said. The two later had a minor physical altercation after which Anthony Fragale obtained a handgun, confronted and then shot his brother outside the trailer in which they resided, sheriff’s officials said.

Anthony Fragale and other family members took the victim to the Jerold Phelps Community Hospital in Garberville, where he was pronounced dead. The results of an autopsy, underway Thursday, were not available, but Capt. Greg Van Patten said he expects no more than one gunshot wound.

Anthony Fragale is being held on $500,000 bail.