SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA – The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has released new body camera footage of a deputy-involved shooting that occurred last month, shedding light on a tragic sequence of events that began with a double homicide. Authorities say a 41-year-old man killed his parents in a mobile home park before fleeing the scene in a golf cart.
Investigators revealed that the suspect, identified as Joseph, had sent his cousin gruesome photos of his deceased parents, prompting a call to the Sheriff’s Department around 7:30 a.m. on July 9. The caller, who reported the assault, mentioned that Joseph had a history of mental health issues and violence.
Upon arriving at the scene on Alipaz Street, deputies discovered the bodies of Joseph’s 79-year-old mother, 77-year-old father, and the family dog, all of whom had been decapitated. Shortly after, another call came in reporting a man covered in blood chasing a maintenance worker with a tool.
Joseph then fled the mobile home park in a golf cart, leading deputies on a pursuit that ended three miles away. Body camera footage shows the tense moment when deputies encountered Joseph, who was wielding a metal water meter. Despite commands to drop the object and get on the ground, Joseph advanced toward the deputies, leading them to fire five shots, striking him multiple times.
As deputies administered aid, Joseph continued to speak, expressing love and apologies, and even pleading for his life to be ended. Moments later, he began singing before being taken to the hospital, where he remains in serious but stable condition.
Joseph has been booked on two counts of suspected homicide. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department continues to investigate the double murder, while the Orange County District Attorney’s Office will review the deputy-involved shooting.