Laguna Niguel Teen Charged In Father's Brutal Slaying

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA — An 18-year-old was charged Tuesday with pummeling his father until he was dead and then called 911 to report the murder, an Orange County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman said.

Maximilian Gregory Ludwig received charges of murder with special circumstances allegations of lying in wait, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Court documents say that Ludwig took his father out on a nearby trail for a walk on the day after Thanksgiving.

For undisclosed reasons, Maximilian Ludwig allegedly began a punishing assault, attacking his father with rocks and stomping on his head. Christopher Ludwig died on the trail as a result of blunt force trauma, Senior Deputy District Attorney Troy Pino said.

The prosecutor declined to discuss a motive for the attack.

Ludwig has worked as a seasonal lifeguard and swim instructor in Laguna Niguel. He still lived with his mother and father, Pino said. An older brother had recently moved out to go to college, but would visit on breaks from school, he said.

Ludwig faces a minimum of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.

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