Parolee Charged With Killing Camper In Malibu Creek State Park

MALIBU, CA – A parolee was charged Monday with killing a father from Irvine camping with his two young daughters and trying to kill 10 others in connection with a series of shootings over the past two years in the Malibu and Calabasas areas, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced.

Anthony Rauda, 42, was charged with one count of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and five counts of second-degree burglary, the press release said. He is scheduled to be arraigned today.

The charges are the culmination of a massive manhunt that rocked the region. The shooting death of an Irvine father camping with his two young daughters revealed that authorities had long known of the string of random sniper shootings targeting campers in the area but had not publicized the threat until after his tragic death. The series of random shootings unsettled nearby communities and turned LA's wilderness haven into an unsafe place to explore nature.

After Rauda’s arrest, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office closely collaborated to examine leads, tying the suspect to past reports of shooting incidents, assaults, and the murder of the Irvine father, Tristan Beaudette, in Malibu Creek State Park, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department said.

"After a lengthy, extensive investigation, evidence was developed and gathered, incriminating Rauda as being responsible for a series of armed burglaries, multiple shooting incidents, and the murder of Tristan Beaudette," the Sheriff's Department press release said. "A concentrated effort by detectives [...] has revealed that he apparently acted alone during this identified crime spree, stretching from November 2016 to October 2018. No similar crimes have been reported in the area since the October 2018 arrest of Rauda."

Rauda is accused of opening fire on unsuspecting campers and drivers dating back to November 2016 when he allegedly wounded a man who was sleeping in a hammock in the Malibu Creek State Park area. Less than a week later, he allegedly fired into the sleeping area of a vehicle, the press release said. He's also accused of shooting into vehicles on three different occasions in 2017. No one was injured.

The defendant allegedly shot at a Tesla on Las Virgenes Road on June 18, 2018. He is accused of killing Tristan Beaudette, 35, who was shot and killed while in a tent with his two daughters in Malibu Creek State Park, just four days after allegedly shooting at the Tesla. Beaudette's children were not injured.

Rauda also has been charged with several burglaries that occurred last year in the Calabasas area. He was arrested in October. If convicted as charged, Rauda faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison, the press release said.

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Related coverage >>

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• Armed Survivalist Sought In Malibu Creek State Park Slaying
• Widow Of Murdered Camper Pleads For Help Finding Husband's Killer
• Residents Terrorized By Unsolved Shootings In Malibu State Park
• 5 Shootings Near Malibu Park Within 2 Years, Are They Connected?

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