Rauda Charged In Murder Of Irvine Father, 10 Shootings Near Malibu Creek State Park
CALABASAS (CBSLA) — A burglary suspect was charged Monday with murdering an Irvine father who was camping with his two young daughters in Malibu Creek State Park, and trying to kill 10 others in a series of shootings over the past two years.
Anthony Rauda, 42, appeared in court Monday on one count of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and five counts of second-degree burglary. His public defender blocked him from cameras during the hearing.
His arraignment was continued to Jan. 23, and he remains in custody on $1.1 million bail.
Tristan Beaudette, a 35-year-old chemist from Irvine, was found fatally shot in June while camping with his daughters, 2 and 4 years old. The girls were not hurt, but were listed as victims of attempted murder in the felony complaint.
The investigation into Beaudette's killing uncovered several other shootings at or near Malibu Creek State Park over the past two years. The campgrounds were shut down until further notice as the investigation got underway, and since then, several structures in the park were damaged by the Woolsey Fire.
Prosecutors say Rauda terrorized the area since November 2016, when he wounded a man who was sleeping in a hammock in the Malibu State Park area. Less than a week later, Rauda allegedly fired into the sleeping area of a vehicle.
The criminal complaint also accuses Rauda of shooting into vehicles on three different occasions in 2017. No one was injured in those shootings, which were reportedly at random.
Authorities described Rauda as a "survivalist" who lived off stolen food while often sleeping outside in the Malibu area. He was arrested in October on suspicion of burglary after authorities spotted him on a ridge top carrying a rifle in his backpack.
Rauda was sentenced in December to six months in jail for gun and ammunition violations. That sentence will run consecutively with an earlier 160-day sentence for violating parole, according to the District Attorney's Office.
