California police arrest suspected serial killer of homeless men

California police arrest suspected serial killer of homeless men

2012-01-16 08:07:57 GMT+7 (ICT)

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA (BNO NEWS) -- A 23-year-old man, who was arrested in Southern California on Friday evening after allegedly killing a homeless man, is also believed to have been responsible for three similar murders, police said on Sunday.

Itzcoatl Ocampo, of Yorba Linda in Orange County, was taken into custody on Friday evening after police responded to calls of an assault in progress in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant in Anaheim. Upon arrival, officers found a homeless man who had been stabbed to death.

"Several brave individuals from the community were able to pursue the suspect at a slight distance and provide critical information to the police department which led us to detain a suspect we believe was responsible for this incident here tonight," Deputy Anaheim Police Chief Craig Hunter told reporters on Friday evening.

Anaheim police chief John Welter on late Saturday announced that police believe Ocampo was also responsible for three other murders since mid-December. "We are extremely confident that we have the man who is responsible for the murders of all four homeless men in Orange County," the Los Angeles Times quoted Welter as saying on Sunday.

As the killings continued, sparking fear among homeless people and local residents, authorities had established a task force of police officers, sheriff's deputies and FBI agents to find the serial killer. Friday's victim was identified as 65-year-old John Berry, a Vietnam War veteran.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Ocampo was a former Marine who appeared to be 'deeply troubled' after his return from service in Iraq in the summer of 2010, although his motive is still unclear. His uncle, Ifrain Gonzales, told the Times that Ocampo said he was 'seeing and hearing things' after returning from Iraq.

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