A California man was taken into custody after he allegedly slaughtered his elderly parents and their pet dog inside a San Juan Capistrano mobile home on Tuesday.
Neighbors witnessed a fight between 41-year-old Joseph Gerdvil and his 77-year-old father Ronald Gerdvil the day before the massacre.
Orange County deputies responded to a “domestic incident” at the family home at around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and met a “horrific scene.”
They found the decapitated and mutilated bodies of Ronald and Antoinette Gerdvil and their beloved pet dog.
Minutes later, police received reports of a “bloody male” chasing after a maintenance worker in the area.
The suspect, Joseph Gerdvil, stole the worker’s golf cart and took off before he was located by a deputy who fired multiple shots at him.
Joseph was arrested and taken to an area hospital in a critical condition. A motive for his alleged crime is unclear but neighbors said he was dealing with drug addiction.
“[The victims] were a very sweet couple,” neighbor Victoria Alford said.
“And at that age to tragically be murdered by your own son is just tragic, period.”
