A 25-year-old man has been arrested for murder after his mother’s dismembered body was found in a dumpster at a California apartment complex.
David Hoetzlein was taken into custody on Friday night, hours after police found body parts belonging to his 62-year-old mother Tomoko Hoetzlein in the grounds of the Las Positas Apartments complex in Ventura County.
Mr Hoetzlein is accused of killing his mother and dismembering her body before trying to dispose of her remains in a bin next to the apartment that they shared.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said that Camarillo police officers made the grim discovery at around 6.50am on Friday morning, when they responded to a report of “suspicious circumstances” at the apartment block.
When deputies arrived on the scene, they discovered the human remains stuffed inside the dumpster.
The investigation soon honed in on the victim’s son and officials obtained a warrant to search the apartment where they lived.
Mr Hoetzlein was inside the apartment alone at the time of the warrant being executed, the sheriff’s office said.
The search of the home uncovered evidence “which connected David to the murder of his mother”, according to officials.
He was arrested for his mother’s murder at around 8.27pm.
Officials said the gruesome killing was an “isolated incident” and insisted that there is no threat to the public.
No motive has been revealed and it is not clear how Ms Hoetzlein was killed.
Mr Hoetzlein is being held on $3m bond at the Ventura County jail.
He will be arraigned in Ventura County Superior Court on Tuesday.
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