Oceanside CA— On Friday April 24, 2015 at 9:26 p.m. Oceanside Police Department dispatchers received a 911 call regarding a person covered in blood at 1435 Santa Rosa Street. The caller identified herself as a babysitter for the residents at the address. She told the dispatcher she saw one person covered in blood and another person down in the garage. She thought two young children might still be in the house.
Officers responded and their investigation revealed the following. When the sitter got to the house, a male covered with blood told her he had just “slayed the beast”. The sitter began to flee and then looked into the open garage. She saw the person she had just talked to, kneeling over a resident. The resident was later identified as Bradley Thomas Garner. The person kneeling over him was identified as David Anthony Strouth. When Strouth saw the sitter looking at him, he got up and approached her. She fled to her car and Strouth tried to get the door open. She drove away and called neighbors, telling them what had happened.
Two Good Samaritan neighbors, believing someone in the house was gravely injured and that the children could be in mortal danger, armed themselves and went to the residence. One was armed with a knife, the other was armed with a handgun. They confronted Strouth in the garage where he was inflicting stab wounds on himself.
Oceanside Police officers arrived. It took five officers to subdue Strouth and take him into custody. Oceanside Police Department detectives were called to the scene for the investigation.
Bradley Thomas Garner DOB Feb. 11, 1966 had numerous stab wounds to the neck, chest and body. He died at the scene after medical attention was rendered by Oceanside Police Department officers and Oceanside Fire Department officials.
David Anthony Strouth DOB March 8, 1981 suffered what appeared to be numerous self-inflicted stab wounds to the arms and neck. He made several spontaneous admissions to the crime and was flown by helicopter to Scripps Hospital in La Jolla. He was later booked into the Vista Detention Facility for homicide.
The two young children, ages two and four years, were not injured.
The babysitter, Jessica Gandarillas was not injured.