Man Wanted In Random Malibu Park Shootings Arrested: Report

MALIBU, CA – A suspect was arrested Wednesday as deputies searched the Malibu Creek State Park area for an armed burglar wanted in connection with a series of break-ins in the Malibu and Calabasas areas. The arrest was made amid speculation that the heists – one of which was carried out by a person armed with a rifle – are tied to the June shooting death of a camper in Malibu Creek State Park.

Details of the arrest were expected to be released by the sheriff's department at an early evening news briefing, according to department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida. The man was arrested in a wilderness area near the park, according to NBC4, which was the first to report the arrest.

The community had been on edge amid reports of campers being targeted with random gunfire in the months leading up to the June slaying of a father camping with his two young daughters in Malibu Creek State Park. Authorities, facing pressure to solve the crimes, have conducted massive manhunts in the area over the last week using armored vehicles and low-flying helicopters, searching for an armed burglar wanted in connection with the murder of Tristan Beaudette, the father shot dead while camping.

Sheriff Jim McDonnell told reporters Tuesday he could not go into details of the investigation, but he recognized the concern being caused by the rash of criminal activity

"There's been a number of issues people, I think, are aware of, recent shootings as well as burglaries in the area," McDonnell said. "We are working – without getting into detail and jeopardizing any investigation – we are aggressively working the situation. We have a lot of resources dedicated to it, and there's a lot of things that the public would not see going on that will ultimately be helpful in that. But to go beyond much of that at this point, much further than that, I think would not be wise."

The suspect's arrest came a day after an early morning burglary at a Calabasas community center, where someone smashed a vending machine and stole food, sparking concerns the crime was committed by a rifle-toting burglar spotted in the area last week. There has also been speculation the armed burglar might be connected to the June shooting death of a man who was camping in the park with his two daughters, although sheriff's officials have not officially linked the crimes.

Tuesday's burglary occurred about 3 a.m. at the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center at 27040 Malibu Hills Road, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The culprit broke a glass door at the center to get inside.

"Detectives believe the same suspect, who is possibly involved in eight other burglaries, used a rock to break the front glass door," according to the sheriff's department.

Before Tuesday morning's break-in, the most recent burglary was Thursday in the 700 block of Malibu Canyon Road, according to the sheriff's department.

Prior to that, there was a Sept. 30 burglary at a commercial structure in the 26800 block of Mulholland Highway. In that case, surveillance video showed a man wearing what deputies called "tactical gear" and carrying a rifle. The suspect in that break-in also stole food, deputies said.

On Oct. 2, sheriff's officials conducted a large-scale manhunt in the area, but the suspect wasn't found. Some residents reported hearing gunfire that night.

On Saturday, a maintenance worker in the Tapia Park area about a mile south of the Malibu Creek State Park campground "encountered a person who matched the description of the armed commercial burglar," Sgt. Matthew Dunn of the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff's station said.

Dunn said the man asked the park worker for a ride out of the canyon, "because he said there were so many police in the area."

The maintenance worker left and called deputies, prompting another massive search of the area on Saturday. Deputies combed Malibu Canyon for hours with the aid of three helicopters. The search was called off when darkness fell over the area.

Another burglary was reported on Sept. 24 in the 700 block of Malibu Canyon Road and the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center was burglarized on July 27, according to the sheriff's department.

Other burglaries of which the same person is suspected occurred on March 8, 2017, in the 26800 block of Mulholland Highway; on Oct. 28, 2016, a few miles north of Malibu Creek State Park in Calabasas; and on Oct. 10, 2016, in the 26800 block of Dorothy Drive in an unincorporated area near Calabasas, the sheriff's department reported.

The break-ins and searches have heightened trepidation among residents who have been on edge following the June 22 shooting death of 35-year-old Irvine resident Tristan Beaudette, who was killed in his tent at Malibu Creek State Park, where he was camping with his two daughters.

Dunn said last week investigators had not linked any burglaries to the shooting, "but we certainly haven't ruled it out." He added that the suspect might be a transient living in the park.

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Image via Shutterstock