Man decapitated elderly parents, dog at OC home before he was shot by deputies, officials say
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (KABC) -- Horrific new details have been released about the deaths of an elderly couple and their dog at a home in San Juan Capistrano.
The victims and their dog were mutilated and decapitated by their son, authorities say. The still-bloody suspect then allegedly attacked a maintenance worker in the community and fled on a golf cart.
Deputies caught up to him near a bike trail and a confrontation resulted in them shooting him. The suspect was brought to a local hospital and was listed in stable condition.
The victims have been identified as Antoinette Gerdvil, 79, and Ronald Water Gerdvil, 77. The suspect is their son, 41-year-old Joseph Brandon Gerdvil.
Deputies who were sent to the couple's home Tuesday found "a horrific scene which included the decapitated and mutilated bodies of Ronald and Antoinette Gerdvil, as well as a decapitated dog belonging to the married couple," according to a statement from the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
After Joseph Gerdvil is medically cleared, he will be brought to the Orange County Sheriff's jail and booked for two counts of homicide, as well as potentially additional charges, the OCSD says.
The motive and circumstances behind the killings remain under investigation.
