In a shocking incident, law enforcement officers in San Juan Capistrano, California, responded to a domestic violence call at a mobile home park, only to discover a horrifying scene. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office reported that upon arrival, officers found the bodies of Antoinette Gerdvil, 79, and her husband, Ronald Walter Gerdvil, 77, in their residence on Alipaz Street.
The couple, along with their pet dog, had been brutally decapitated and mutilated. The gruesome discovery was made on Tuesday, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The couple’s son, who also resided in the same mobile home community, was later implicated in the crime.
Within minutes of the officers’ arrival at the crime scene, they received information about a blood-soaked man threatening a maintenance worker in the same mobile home park. The man had reportedly stolen a golf cart. Police officers spotted the man driving the stolen golf cart on a nearby bike trail and confronted him.
During the confrontation, the man was shot, although the circumstances leading to the shooting were not immediately disclosed by the department. First responders provided immediate medical assistance to the man before he was transported to a local hospital by the Orange County Fire Authority. He was reported to be in stable condition.
The man was later identified as Joseph Brandon Gerdvil, 41, the son of the deceased couple. Upon his medical release, police intend to charge him with two counts of homicide. The department anticipates additional charges and enhancements following the conclusion of their investigation.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office also stated that body camera footage from the incident would be released in accordance with legal requirements and in consultation with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. The law typically mandates the release of such footage within 45 days of the incident. The motivation behind the gruesome act remains unclear.
San Juan Capistrano, a coastal city in southern Orange County, is home to approximately 35,000 residents. The city is renowned for the annual migration of swallows that nest at the historic mission in the town. The average home in this city sells for around $1.3 million.