The suspect accused of killing an “American Idol” music supervisor and her husband in their Los Angeles home allegedly used the couple’s own gun in the murders and called police, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
Raymond Boodarian, 22, allegedly killed Robin Kaye and Thomas Deluca, both 70, on July 10 after the couple returned to their Encino home while he was burglarizing the residence, officials said. The couple was found dead last Monday after police conducted a welfare check and saw blood at the door, according to Los Angeles police.
Hochman shared the update about the suspect and alleged murder weapon during a public safety meeting hosted by the Encino Neighborhood Council to discuss the incident on Monday night.
Over 100 concerned Encino residents attended the meeting to demand answers as to why Boodarian was out on the streets, despite being jailed last year on suspicion of battery, displaying a weapon and making threats, Encino Neighborhood Council President Josh Sautter told NBC News.
A judge dismissed the case in December after hearings concerning Boodarian’s mental health, NBC Los Angeles reported.
At the meeting, Hochman said Boodarian was arrested the day after the couple’s bodies were found.
“Mr. Boodarian got caught because he used his cell phone to contact police concerning the situation, actually identified himself by name,” Hochman said during the meeting. “Police were able to ping the cell phone, find out where he lived, go to his residence and arrest him.”
Hochman also said investigators found the gun used in the double murder, and that it did not belong to Boodarian.
“It was Robyn and Tom’s gun,” he said. “It wasn’t his gun. It was exceptionally tragic.”
Boodarian is believed to have entered the couple’s home at around 4 p.m. through an unlocked door on July 10, according to officials. Kaye and Deluca returned home from the grocery store and found Boodarian there, prosecutors said.
“In a matter of moments, this couple was senselessly killed in their own home as they returned from the grocery store,” Hochman said in a statement issued last week.
Police were called to the couple’s home on the same day for a report of a possible burglary, but officers did not see any evidence of a crime, the police department said last week. Their bodies were found last Monday after someone requested a welfare check after not hearing from one of the residents for several days, police said.
Kaye had been working for “American Idol” since 2009, according to a spokesperson for the show. Sautter, who met Kaye after she contacted the council regarding a safety issue in the neighborhood, said she was “so full of joy and gratitude.”
“You could feel her joy for life,” Sautter said.
Sautter said the incident has left many residents feeling unsafe in their community.
“There’s no feeling of public safety right now,” Sautter said. “Everybody is so angry.”
Boodarian was arrested last Tuesday and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree burglary, but the charges are with special allegations, like multiple murder, that would increase a possible sentence.
If convicted, Boodarian could face life in prison, officials said. He is being held without bail in a Los Angeles correctional facility, according to online records.
The Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, who represents Boodarian, according to records, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Boodarian’s next court date is scheduled for Aug. 20, per online records.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Police are trying to determine if there was a connection between Boodarian and the couple.