A homeless man has been arrested for the murder of an 87-year-old Asian man in his own apartment in Garden Grove, California, on Thursday night.
What happened: A home security video recorded the moments leading up to the death of Chuong Pham in his home in the 9900 block of Central Avenue at around 7:30 p.m. In the footage, a stranger, later identified as 26-year-old Mario Brancato, is seen conversing with Pham in his living room for 30 to 40 minutes before everything went black.
One of the victim’s sons, who was monitoring the camera from work, rushed to his father’s apartment. Upon arrival, he found him bound, unresponsive and bleeding from the head.
The aftermath: Brancato, who was still at the scene, tried to flee but was restrained by neighbors, as per KTLA. Garden Grove police arrived and arrested him shortly after. Pham, on the other hand, was rushed to a hospital. He later succumbed to his injuries.
About the suspect: Police described Brancato as a homeless man with no prior connection to Pham. He was on probation after being sentenced for vandalism and DUI charges in August 2022.
Pham’s sons said they saw Brancato rummaging through their father’s drawers during the incident. No weapons were found at the scene.
Pham’s family’s response: Pham was suffering from dementia, his sons told Eyewitness News. They are desperate for answers.
“Where is this guy coming from? What is he doing here? Why did he kill the old man, who is sick? There’s nothing here in the house,” Khanh Pham told CBS News.
What’s next: Brancato was booked into the Orange County Jail on murder charges. His motive remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Rogers at 714-741-5413 or Garden Grove Police Department Investigations at 714-741-5800.
