Orange County Deputy Shoots Man Suspected of Killing His Parents and Dog

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San Juan Capistrano, California — On Tuesday, July 9, 2024, just after 7:30 a.m., Orange County Sheriff's Dispatch received a 911 call about a domestic assault in a mobile home community in the 32,000 block of Alipaz Street. The caller reported they received text messages from a family member that contained photographs of other family members who appeared severely injured. The first caller shared that the family members who appeared severely injured, are her elderly relatives who live in a mobile home park. The caller said that the elderly couple's son suffers from mental health issues, has been violent in the past and is the person who sent the photographs. The caller was concerned and asked for deputies to check on the elderly couple's condition.

Dispatch received additional 911 calls, including one from a maintenance worker in the mobile home park. The maintenance worker stated that he was attacked by a blooded man, described as a 40 years old male, wearing a dark blue shirt and gray shorts. The blooded man stole the maintenance worker's golf cart and left in an unknown direction. Deputies were dispatched to the residence. When deputies arrived to the mobile home on Alipaz Street, they discovered the suspect's parents and their dog had been decapitated and mutilated. Within minutes, a Sheriff's Community Services Officer observed the suspect, 41-year-old Joseph Gerdvil driving the golf cart on a bike trail and radioed the suspect's location to dispatch. At one point, Gerdvil stopped the golf cart, exited and threw a shovel at the Officer's Vehicle. The Officer remained in her vehicle and continued to follow Gerdvil, updating Dispatch on his location.

Shortly after, a deputy who had initially responded to the scene of the double homicide arrived at Gerdvil's location in the area of Calle Arroyo, which is approximately 3 miles away from the mobile home park. Immediately upon exiting the patrol vehicle the deputy instructed the Gerdvil to "get down on the ground" multiple times. Gerdvil did not comply and continued to advance toward the deputy, carrying an object in his hand. A deputy involved shooting occurred. Additional deputies arrived to the scene. The deputies handcuffed Gerdvil, called for paramedics and began to provide medical aid and life-saving measures, including the application of tourniquets and a chest seal. It was later determined that the object Gerdvil was carrying, was a metal water meter. Gerdvil was taken to a local hospital in serious but stable condition. He was booked into the Orange County Jail on suspicion of two counts of homicide and remains at the hospital at the time of this video.