Father Of Brandon McInerney Arrested

The father of Brandon McInerney, the California student who murdered gay teen Lawrence King, has been arrested on two felony counts of making criminal threats and dissuading a witness from reporting a crime.

William Frederick McInerney, 46, had his first court appearance Friday since being arrested Wednesday. He pleaded not guilty, court records show. Judge Colleen Toy White set bail at $40,000 and set the next hearing for March 2, according to court documents. County jail records showed that William McInerney was still in custody Friday night. William McInerney’s lawyer, Jay Leiderman, declined to comment Friday, saying that he had not yet read the incident report. Judge White ordered William McInerney to stay away from a house in the 3700 block of Tiller Avenue in Oxnard where McInerney’s relatives live. Also, he is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.

It's unclear if the arrest is related to the Lawrence King murder. The elder McInerney was convicted of spousal abuse in 2002.