Crime & Safety

Man Accused Of North County Fatal Stabbing Heads To Court

David Strouth is accused of killing his roommate in an Oceanside home.

A man accused of stabbing another man to death in Oceanside is scheduled to appear at the courthouse in Vista today for a preliminary hearing.

David Anthony Strouth, 34, is charged with murder in the April 24, 2015, death of 49-year-old Bradley Garner.

The victim was found stabbed to death in a home on Santa Rosa Street around 9:30 p.m., and Strouth was lying on the floor, Oceanside police said.

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Police said a fight broke out between Garner and Strouth, prompting a babysitter employed by the victim to flee the home and call for help, according to police.

Police said Strouth was friends with a roommate of the victim, who had invited him to live there. He had moved into the home just two weeks earlier with Garner, his ex-girlfriend and their two young children, according to police.

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The killing was discovered by the babysitter, who had planned to watch the children, police said.

At the end of today’s preliminary hearing, a judge will decide whether enough evidence was presented for Strouth to stand trial. The defendant faces 26 years to life in prison if convicted.

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