A planning commissioner and deli owner in Lakewood will not face criminal charges for shooting and wounding his stepson earlier this year because prosecutors determined he could claim self-defense.

Robert Quarto was “almost beaten to unconsciousness” by his stepson the night he shot him twice in the legs during a confrontation Sept. 19, according to a court document filed Nov. 15.

Quarto, 61, was arrested an hour after the 11 p.m. shooting at the family’s home on Bellflower Boulevard and later released after posting $50,000 bond. His 32-year-old stepson was taken to a hospital in stable condition, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

According to a charge evaluation sheet filed by prosecutors, the stepson, whose name is redacted, has a history of assaulting Quarto, including a battery case in 2007.

On the night of the shooting, Quarto’s wife, Linda, witnessed some of the beating and ran outside the home to call 911, the document says. At some point, Quarto managed to run outside, as well, but he encountered the stepson again.

When the stepson threatened to kill him, Quarto fired two shots at his knees, “striking him and preventing him from advancing,” the document states.

A sheriff’s investigator said both Quarto and the stepson should have been arrested because there was a “mutual combat type incident involving both parties,” the report says.

Deputy District Attorney David Berton concluded that an assault with a deadly weapon case against Quarto could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt because he could argue self-defense.

“He could claim that after being beaten up, he went outside with his gun to look for his wife, in terms of her safety, then he, suspect, was confronted by victim, latter stating he would kill suspect,” Berton wrote. “Suspect fired two bullets in self-defense and not to kill, at the victim’s legs…” The rest of the sentence is redacted.

Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, said the case was not referred for misdemeanor prosecution, but rejected outright.

It was unclear whether charges were also considered against the stepson.

Quarto could not be reached for comment, nor could sheriff’s Detective Edward Castro, who investigated the case.

Quarto has been on the Lakewood Planning and Environment Commission since April 2013, and Linda Quarto has served on the Community Safety Commission for nearly a decade. The family owns Foggia Italian Market & Deli on Del Amo Boulevard.

Quarto stopped attending commission meetings while his legal case was being decided, said Lakewood City Manager Thaddeus McCormack.

“Now that the case has been resolved, we expect Mr. Quarto to once again begin attending meetings of the commission,” he said.