LAPD Chief Charlie Beck announced that suspects have been arrested in connection with the horrific weekend murder of four people outside a Northridge boarding house.
At a news conference this afternoon, the chief said the four were arrested at the Silverton Casino Hotel in Las Vegas
, apparently overnight: “Four individuals have been arrested for the involvement of the murder of our victims,” he said.
Suspects were named as Ka Pasasouk, 31, of Los Angeles, who's accused of murder; Howard Alcantara, 30, of Glendale, accused of robbery and accessory after the fact (aka “aiding a felon”); Donna Rabulan, 30, of L.A., accused of being an accessory after the fact; and Christina Neal, 31, of L.A., accused of being an accessory after the fact.
The attack was reported shortly before 4:30 a.m. Sunday in the 17400 block of Devonshire Street, police said.
L.A. City Councilman Mitch Englander, who represents the area, said the attack might have been an execution-style murder.
Beck declined to talk details or motive, though, as you can see from his comments, robbery appears to have been a factor.
He said the four were awaiting extradition to L.A. from Nevada, a process that could take a couple days.
At least some of the victims, including two women in their 20s, a man in his 30s and another man in his 40s, were found face-down outside the home. All of the victims appeared to be of Asian descent, cops said.
ABC Eyewitness News reported that a search warrant was served at the home today; cops were looking for an assault weapon and clothing possibly connected to the crime, the station reported.
The crime alarmed locals used to a quiet neighborhood filled with ranch homes.
Steve Patel, president of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council, told us the attack points to the need to regulate boarding homes.
Englander has a proposal being considered at City Hall that would make it difficult to operate such homes in residential areas.
His spokesman, Matt Myerhoff, told the Weekly:
… We are currently working with various departments to ensure that we end up with an ordinance that doesn't have inadvertent negative impacts on those good operators of well-run facilities that are providing good services to those who need them in
The house in question was said to be unkempt, with mattresses on the floors, multiple residents, and at least one room accessible only via a window.
[Update at 5:29 p.m.]: In a statement released this evening, LAPD says this much about the suspects:
The investigation revealed that the victims had been visiting friends at that residence when they were confronted and fatally shot by the suspects. Robbery Homicide investigators developed information that the suspects fled to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Cops say the suspects were arrested at the Vegas hotel about 2 p.m. Monday.