A 34-year-old man accused of shooting and killing his parents in Louisiana was arrested in Los Angeles on Friday evening, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department announced.
According to an LASD release, deputies with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office (TPSO) were dispatched to conduct a welfare check at a residence on Eastwood Drive near Amite City, Louisiana on Thursday.
Amite City (pronounced ay-meet) is located about 75 miles north of New Orleans in southeastern Louisiana.
Upon arriving at the Eastwood Drive home, the deputies found two people deceased, one inside the residence and one on the property. They were identified as 75-year-old Marc Brocato and 66-year-old Priscilla Brocato, a husband and wife.
“Their son, Joshua Brocato, was unaccounted for and initially sought as a person of interest,” LASD said in a press release issued early Sunday afternoon. “Following autopsies of the couple, an arrest warrant for two counts of first-degree murder was issued for Joshua Brocato by TPSO.”
TPSO’s preliminary investigation determined that Marc and Priscilla Brocato were shot to death between March 31 and April 1, and that within three days of the homicides, Joshua fled to California. Thus, TPSO reached out to their Southern California law enforcement counterparts to be on the lookout for Brocato and his vehicle, a white Ford E-150 van.
A van matching that description was located in the 5400 block of Fairfax Avenue in Ladera Heights on Friday around 5:45 p.m., according to LASD, and deputies subsequently conducted a traffic stop and detained the sole occupant of the van, which was Brocato.
“Deputies confirmed Joshua Brocato was a wanted person out of Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office for two counts of first-degree murder,” LASD said. “Marina Del Rey station deputies arrested Brocato for TPSO’s murder arrest warrant without incident.”
While Brocato was being arrested, deputies discovered he was in possession of body armor and several loaded guns, including an assault rifle. He was hit with several other charges, including possession of a loaded unregistered firearm, possession of an assault weapon and altering or removing a serial number on a firearm.
Brocato was booked at the Marina Del Rey Sheriff’s Station on no bail. His court date is set for Tuesday.
The reason for the crime is still unknown, authorities said.
Anyone with information surrounding Joshua Brocato or the murders of Marc and Priscilla Brocato are encouraged to contact TPSO Criminal Investigations by calling 985-902-2088 or calling Louisiana State Police Suspicious Activity Hotline at 1-800-434-8007.
Information can be submitted to authorities anonymously, by calling Tangipahoa’s tip line (1-800-554-5245) or visiting www.tangicrimestoppers.com.
