A man suspected of killing Robin Kaye, a well-known executive of ‘American Idol’, and her spouse, is noted to have a problematic background, steeped in heavy substance abuse which often incited fear among his community. Identified as Raymond Boodarian, the 22-year-old resided in a condominium located merely thirteen minutes away from the opulent $4.5 million Encino property where the fatal incident occurred last week, during an apparent break-in.
Local residents often voiced their concerns regarding Boodarian’s disruptive behavior. He was not just a solitary threat, but a potential danger as he frequently had fellow substance users over to his place, causing unease in the neighborhood by indulging in substance abuse openly.
The tragic conclusion of Kaye’s and her husband’s life, Thomas DeLuca, was cemented in the form of a double homicide in their residence in the city of Los Angeles. It was a shock for their community and left many with heavy hearts as they were revered figures in society.
The Arrest took place on a Tuesday, post discovery of the corpses of Kaye and 70-year-old DeLuca in their habitat. The couple was subjected to fatal head injuries inflicted through gunshots. It was a moment of reprieve dressed in sorrow for the neighborhood that had long been tormented by Boodarian.
Boodarian’s encounter with law enforcement was not new. His initial detention occurred in October 2023, where he was temporarily held and then discharged the same day. He accrued enough offences to be back behind bars by February, and woke up behind those cold bars once again in June the next year, 2024.
The authorities did not let Boodarian go back to society this time. He spent the next six months incarcerated as per inmate records available from California, serving time for his disruptive and violent behavior.
However, despite his string of offences, he was discharged from personal custody because the court resolved that he lacked mental competency. His past criminal records became fateful paper trails that gave the police a lead towards solving the sorrowful double murder mystery of DeLuca and Kaye.
Evidence from his past run-ins with the law, combined with surveillance tapes, served as the linchpin that connected Boodarian with the horrendous double homicide. The youthful suspect allegedly breached the couple’s secure mansion on that fateful Thursday and gunned them when they returned home and caught him off guard.
The innocent couple fell prey to the gunman’s wrath, with multiple shots brutally landing on their bodies. A nearby resident spotted an intruder scaling the couple’s property barrier on the day of their demise around 4 p.m. and instantly alerted the authorities.
Upon arrival, the police surveyed the vicinity but didn’t notice anything disturbed. It was only later that they discovered the already lifeless bodies of the couple inside their home, solidifying the shocking reality of their untimely exit from this world.
This calamity was merely one facet of a chilling crime trend developing in the heart of a star-studded suburb. The lush streets had seen an increase in notorious names like Nick Jonas and Dave Grohl, and sadly, a significant uptick of 40% in home thefts the previous summer.
The crime rates escalated between July and August, with at least eight incident reports of burglary. The modus operandi strikingly resembled the violent break-in episode that culminated in Kaye and DeLuca’s unfortunate exit.
The criminal tactics involved meticulous planning, focused on tactful break-ins into homes via windows and glass doors, often while terrified families were still present. It instilled a chilling fear within the community, driving everyone to be on constant alert.
According to law enforcement, the patterns of these robberies seemed to be the hallmark of local Latin gangs. They would zero in on a district for a couple of weeks before moving on to terrorize a new area, leaving behind a wave of panic and fear.
Notwithstanding, Boodarian doesn’t seem to have any ties with any organized criminal syndicates. His actions, seemingly driven by personal motivations, have cast a long, dreadful shadow on an otherwise peaceful neighborhood, leaving it grappling with its aftermath.