A 22-year-old man was being held without bail Wednesday following his arrest in the deaths of a married couple — including a former music supervisor for “American Idol” — inside an upscale Encino home.
The bodies were found at about 2:30 p.m. Monday in the 4700 block of White Oak Place, south of Ventura Boulevard, during a welfare check prompted by a call from an acquaintance who had not heard from the couple in several days, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The victims were found inside the home with multiple gunshot wounds.
The couple were identified as “American Idol” music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband, Thomas Deluca, both 70.
An “American Idol” representative confirmed the deaths in a statement, saying “We are devastated to hear of Robin and her dear husband, Tom’s, passing. Robin has been a cornerstone of the `Idol’ family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her. Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the LAPD confirmed the arrest of 22-year-old Raymond Boodarian of Encino, who is suspected of killing the pair last Thursday when the couple returned home and discovered the intruder inside. Police said they identified Boodarian through the use of surveillance video from the couple’s home.
A neighbor told reporters Tuesday morning that a renter at her property called 911 last Thursday after seeing somebody jump over the fence around the home.
According to NBC4, Kaye had contacted the Bodyguard Group, a Beverly Hills private security company, at some point in the weeks before the killings.
“She felt threatened by somebody because of somebody around their home or around their neighborhood who felt suspicious,” the firm’s owner, Kris Herzog, told the station.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the couple’s home had been targeted prior to the fatal incident.
Detectives suspect that Boodarian burglarized the house while the couple was away on July 10 and stayed for about 30 minutes before they returned and found him.
According to the LAPD, officers responded around 4 p.m. Thursday to the home, but found no immediate signs of an intruder or a burglary.
Police said Tuesday that surveillance video suggests the suspect entered the residence through an unlocked door, and the victims returned home and found the intruder inside.
“A violent struggle ensued between them and the suspect,” LAPD homicide investigator Lt. Guy Golan said.
LAPD officials said an investigation would be conducted into the initial response to the home last week and why officers did not detect an intruder in the home.
Meanwhile, Boodarian remained jailed without bail at the Inmate Reception Center in downtown Los Angeles, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department inmate records.