Southern California man accused of decapitating elderly parents
Gruesome details have emerged in a violent and bloody double homicide that included the death of a dog and the suspect being shot earlier this week at an Orange County mobile home park, authorities announced Wednesday.
Deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department responded to the 32000 block of Alipaz Street in San Juan Capistrano around 7:30 a.m. on July 9 on reports of a “domestic incident,” officials said.
According to an OCSD news release, responding deputies discovered a “horrific scene” where two elderly victims, now identified as Antoinette Gerdvil, 79, and her husband Ronald Gerdvil, 77, had been decapitated along with their dog.
Minutes after deputies found the couple, they received reports of a “bloody man” chasing a maintenance worker from the same San Juan Mobile Estates community where the grisly killings occurred.
O.C. sheriff’s deputies on the scene of a gruesome double homicide in San Juan Capistrano on July 9, 2024. (KTLA) Aerial footage of San Juan Mobile Estates where a gruesome double homicide unfolded on July 9, 2024. (KTLA) O.C. sheriff’s deputies on the scene of a gruesome double homicide in San Juan Capistrano on July 9, 2024. (KTLA)
The bloodied suspect, identified as 41-year-old Joseph Gerdvil, who lived in the community with his parents, had reportedly stolen the maintenance worker’s golf cart and was quickly located near a bike trail exit on Calle Arroyo where at least one deputy opened fire on the 41-year-old, striking him.
“Sheriff’s personnel rendered aid to the suspect until the Orange County Fire Authority arrived and was able to transport him to a local hospital, where he is currently in stable condition,” the release noted.
Authorities said the 41-year-old, who is still in the hospital, will be booked on two counts of homicide when he’s medically cleared. They added that at the conclusion of the investigation, the man will likely face additional charges and enhancements.
So far, investigators have not provided a motive for the slayings.
Anyone with information about the investigation is encouraged to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department non-emergency line at 714-647-7000.
Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the Orange County Crime Stoppers Hotline at 855-847-6227 or submit tips online at Orange County Crime Stoppers.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
