Watch CBS News

Man Arrested In Redondo Beach Murder Of Girlfriend And Her Mother

REDONDO BEACH (CBS) — A man suspected of killing his girlfriend and her mother in Redondo Beach was arrested in Baja California early Wednesday.

The arrest of Jonathan Scott Chacon, of Redondo Beach, involved local, federal and Mexican law enforcement agencies, then was swiftly returned to the United States, authorities said.

Chacon, 23, is now in the custody of Redondo Beach police, and will be booked on suspicion of murder in the deaths of the women, whose bodies were discovered Tuesday morning in an apartment in the 1900 block of Rockefeller Lane, said Redondo Beach police Lt. Joe Hoffman.

Police said they found the car Chacon was believed to have been driving -- a black 1996 Mustang with a torn convertible top -- parked near the San Diego (5) Freeway in Mission Viejo. A motorist saw the car and called the Orange County Sheriff's Department, Hoffman said.

The victims were 59-year-old Vicki Bergman, and her daughter, 19-year-old Courtney, who was a recent graduate of Redondo Union High School, the Daily Breeze reported. The bodies were found by a co-worker of one of the victims, said Redondo Beach police Capt. Jeff Hink.

"I'm not sure what led to her concern, but the fact remains she was concerned for one of the residents' welfare; so she came to the house," Hink said.

After the bodies were found, police sought public help to find Chacon, who was the boyfriend of the younger woman.
How the women were killed -- and why -- was not immediately disclosed.

Hoffman said police learned late Tuesday that Chacon might have fled to Mexico.

"Detectives worked through the night in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Mexican authorities to locate Chacon," Hoffman said.

"Chacon was located at a hotel in Rosarito Beach, Baja California, early this morning, and detained by Mexican authorities," he said.

Hoffman said Chacon was returned to the United States without delay because he is not a Mexican national but, rather, a U.S. citizen who was carrying a U.S. passport.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.