Marina Del Rey OfficersTraffic Stop Leads to Arrest of Fugitive Wanted in Parents’ Deaths
A Louisiana man wanted for the murder of his parents was arrested Friday evening in Los Angeles after Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies identified his van as a vehicle tied to a double homicide investigation.
At approximately 5:45 p.m. on April 4, deputies from the Marina Del Rey Station stopped a white Ford E-150 van parked on the 5400 block of Fairfax Avenue that matched the description of a vehicle connected to a double homicide in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana. The van’s sole occupant, 34-year-old Joshua Brocato, was taken into custody without incident.
Authorities confirmed that Brocato was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office (TPSO) for two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his parents, 66-year-old Priscilla Brocato and 75-year-old Marc Brocato.
According to TPSO, deputies were called to conduct a welfare check on the Brocatos’ home on Eastwood Drive in Amite, Louisiana, on April 3. Inside, they found Priscilla Brocato dead and later located Marc Brocato’s body elsewhere on the property. Both had suffered gunshot wounds, and investigators believe they were killed between March 31 and April 1.
Joshua Brocato was initially considered a person of interest but became the primary suspect after autopsies confirmed foul play. Detectives believe he fled to California shortly after the homicides, prompting a regional alert to Southern California law enforcement agencies.
During the arrest, deputies discovered body armor and several loaded firearms inside the van, including an assault rifle. As a result, Brocato faces additional weapons-related charges in California, including possession of a loaded unregistered firearm, possession of an assault weapon, and possession of a firearm with altered or removed serial number
Brocato is being held without bail at the Marina Del Rey Sheriff’s Station and is scheduled to appear in court on April 8 at the LAX Courthouse. Officials said extradition arrangements to Louisiana are underway.
Sheriff Gerald Sticker of Tangipahoa Parish urged anyone with information about the case to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at (985) 902-2088 or the Louisiana State Police Suspicious Activity Hotline at 1-800-434-8007.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa at 1-800-554-5245 or online at www.tangicrimestoppers.com by clicking the P3 Tips icon.
