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Father Of Suspected Homeless Serial Killer Says His Son Is Innocent

SANTA ANA (CBS) — The father of suspected homeless serial killer Itzcoatl Ocampo said Monday his son is innocent.

Ocampo's father, Refugio Ocampo, spoke to KCAL9's Melissa Maynarich outside the Orange County jail where he attempted to see his son for the first time since his arrest Friday night.

"He is innocent. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Refugio. "I feel that the authorities basically have been criminalizing and…making my son to look like he is a criminal, that he is a monster."

Over the weekend Refugio sang a different tune, claiming his 23-year-old son — a former marine — had returned from service in Iraq a changed man.

"He started talking about stuff that didn't make any sense to me, like the end of the world. Something big coming, like a big war, a big war," Refugio said earlier.

Refugio and his wife were denied visitation with Ocampo Monday, who is under a medical hold. The sheriff's department says Ocampo is being monitored 24 hours a day in a solitary cell.

Ocampo's attorney, Randall Longwith was also denied access to his client for the second time.

"We've already talked," said Longwith. "We've been in communications right now with the sheriff's department, invoking [Ocampo's] fifth and sixth amendment rights."

Ocampo was taken into custody Friday night in Yorba Linda after authorities say witnesses chased the suspect from the scene of a fatal attack on a homeless man.

Investigators believe Ocampo is responsible for the murders of four homeless men in northern Orange County since Dec. 20.

Ocampo is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday,

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