The burglar accused of killing American Idol music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband, rock musician Thomas Deluca, allegedly called 911 from inside their Encino, California, home on July 10 after shooting them with their own gun, according to the District Attorney’s office.
Despite the call, it took investigators four days to find their remains on July 14.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman released the new information on Monday, July 21, during a town hall meeting in Encino, where hundreds of locals gathered to express their dissatisfaction with an increase in home burglaries in the region.
According to authorities, 22-year-old Raymond Boodarian was breaking into Kaye and Deluca’s $4.5 million home on White Oak Avenue on July 10 when the couple unexpectedly returned.
According to police, “a confrontation ensued” after the couple walked in, and Boodarian shot them both multiple times in the head with a weapon he had acquired inside their home.
He was suspected to have entered the strongly secured mansion, which has an eight-foot barrier and surveillance cameras, through an unlocked door, according to authorities.
Despite two 911 calls on July 10 — one reportedly made by Boodarian from inside the house on his cell phone — authorities were unable to enter the premises and left without finding the victims.
According to a search warrant affidavit submitted by LAPD investigators from the San Fernando Valley Homicide Unit, officers responded to two separate reports from the home on July 10. The initial call came in at 4:10 p.m., when a neighbor reported seeing an unidentified male attempting to break in.
The first dispatcher audio came two minutes later, on July 10, and it was a normal burglary complaint. The audio recordings show that there was a possible robbery when a neighbor noticed “an unknown man with a tan complexion” hopping over a fence at the couple’s house.
Moments thereafter, a police airship known as Air 16 arrived on the site and hovered over the property. Around 4:16 p.m., the flight officer radioed dispatch, asking, “Can you call back PR [person reporting], see if they still have eyes on?” Two minutes later, at around 4:18 p.m., the officer added: “I don’t have any proof of a forcible break-in. “We are clear.”
“Air 16 is clear,” the dispatcher verified seconds later.
Jennifer Forkish, LAPD communications director, told PEOPLE that the neighbor who reported the suspected theft could not be reached despite follow-up attempts.
According to the affidavit, someone inside the home called 911 again about 40 minutes later at 4:50 p.m., identifying themselves as a resident and reporting a break-in.
According to the probable cause statement in the affidavit, the 911 operator heard the caller beg, “Please don’t shoot me,” before dispatching cops to the home. According to District Attorney Hochman, Boodarian identified himself to authorities using his real identity during that phone contact.
Forkish told PEOPLE that the caller finally suggested that a police response was unnecessary. “Follow-up attempts to reach the caller were unsuccessful,” she told me.
All units arrived before 5:00 p.m., according to dispatcher audio. At that point, Air 16 was summoned again to inspect the situation from above. However, officers stated that the chopper saw nothing untoward. They cleared the scene around seven minutes later, about 5:07 p.m. During the initial response, LAPD officials stated that the front door of the property was not visible from the outside. The house was well secured, with a locked surround and a gated entrance.
“Responding units from the West Valley Division and the LAPD Air Support Division responded to both calls, which were eventually connected based on the address. Officers came on the spot, checked the surrounding area, and attempted to physically inspect the property through the security gate,” Forkish stated.
“They attempted to enter through two access points, but both were locked and protected. The residence was fortified with surrounding walls. The Air Ship visually surveyed the area and reported no observable activity or signs of a break-in. Officers cleared the scene after taking additional steps to contact the individuals reporting and occupants at the property.”
Officers discovered Kaye and Deluca’s deaths four days later, after responding to a welfare check at their house at 2:30 p.m. Officers were greeted by the person reporting, a friend of the victim who stated that she had not heard from the residents in several days and was concerned.
“She happened to have a key code to the vehicle gate, so she gave officers access to the residence,” according to LAPD Lt. Guy Golan. “When [the police] were in the yard of the residence, they observed some signs of trouble, they breached one of the glass windows, went inside the residence and found both of the victims deceased.”
Police have since requested a warrant to examine doorbell surveillance footage from two adjoining homes, attempting to ascertain whether it captured the break-in or the deaths of the two victims.
The next day, July 15, LAPD and FBI task force officers detained Boodarian, 22, in connection with the killings.
Investigators tell PEOPLE that they are still determining whether the suspect had a prior relationship to the couple or had been involved in past calls for service at the property. However, records show that Boodarian resides approximately four miles distant from the couple’s home. The case is still under investigation.
Boodarian was accused two days later, on July 17, with two counts of murder and one count of domestic burglary. The murder accusations include special circumstance claims of several killings and murder while committing a burglary, as well as firearms allegations.
He is being jailed without bond until his next court date on August 20.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Hochman spoke to the assembly on Monday and described the deaths as extremely personal.
“The government owes you one thing and that’s safety,” he told the crowd. “Robin and Tom didn’t feel safe that night. “Safety failed them.”
