A suspect has been arrested in connection with the double murder of American Idol music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca.
LAPD Lt. Guy Golan told reporters (via Yahoo News) on Tuesday (July 15) that Raymond Boodarian, 22, was allegedly burglarizing the couple’s Encino residence while they were away. Kaye and Deluca are said to have found Boodarian inside their home upon their return, after which point the suspect is accused of shooting and killing them during a “violent struggle.”
Authorities received calls on July 10 about an individual jumping the fence of Kaye and Deluca’s home. Officers were unable to gain entry due to the eight-foot-tall walls with spikes that surrounded their property. A helicopter belonging to the LAPD was flown over the residence where no signs of a burglary or other suspicious activity was detected.
Police returned to the home on Monday (July 14) after a friend of the couple requested a welfare check, and provided them with the key code to their gate. The couple were found with multiple gunshot wounds to the head. Officers also noticed blood on the porch, and a broken window, which presumably allowed the suspect to enter the home.
The same caller who reported someone jumping the fence also provided authorities with a license plate. Golan said they were able to identify the suspect “using the surveillance video at the residence, as well as some other forensic evidence at the scene.”
LAPD said Boodarian, a fellow resident of Encino, was arrested on Tuesday. He is being held without bail.
According to court records obtained by CNN, Boodarian was charged with battery, exhibiting a deadly weapon, threatening to commit a crime with intent to terrorize last year. The charges were dismissed because the judge determined that he was not “mentally competent to stand trial.”
“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,” a rep for American Idol told CNN in a statement. “Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”
