Los Angeles police Thursday released details of a fatal stabbing and subsequent officer-involved shooting that left a father and his mentally ill son dead in the Lake Balboa area of the San Fernando Valley.
The suspect in the case — a man reported to have assaulted family members in the past and on Wednesday allegedly fatally stabbed his father in view of officers — was identified by the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office as 30-year-old Joshua Bonilla.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers dispatched to a home in the 17200 block of Valerio Street about 8 a.m. Wednesday were informed a man suffering from mental illness “was acting erratically toward his father,” whom police later identified as 62-year-old Elias Bonilla.
“Upon arrival, the officers met with the subject’s brother, who explained he had responded after their mother called, fearing for their father’s safety,” according to an LAPD statement. “He further stated the subject had a history of violence toward their parents, including stabbing their father eight years earlier and assaulting their mother. The subject had also been confined to a mental health institution for several years due to these prior incidents.”
Additional units were requested and when officers heard a struggle taking place, they forced entry into the home, LAPD Capt. Mike Bland said.
“Inside, they located the subject in the father’s bedroom, lying on top of his father on a bed while holding what appeared to be a knife,” police said “The subject ignored officers’ commands and began stabbing his father, at which point an officer-involved shooting occurred. The subject was struck by gunfire and taken into custody.”
It was unclear if one or more officers opened fire and how many shots were fired.
Firefighters arrived and pronounced both father and son dead at the scene.
“A pair of scissors and a kitchen knife were recovered at the scene and booked as evidence,” police said.
Robbery Homicide Division detectives were investigating the homicide while the shooting was in the hands of the LAPD’s Force Investigation Division.