Inset: Robin Kaye and Thomas Deluca (Robin Kaye Facebook). Background: Los Angeles police investigate the shooting deaths of Kaye and Deluca at their home (KTLA/YouTube).
Police in Los Angeles have arrested a man they say killed an “American Idol” executive and her husband while he was burglarizing their home.
Police discovered the bodies of Robin Kaye and Thomas Deluca, both aged 70, around 2:30 p.m. on Monday during a welfare check at their home located in the 4700 block of White Oak Avenue in Encino, California, according to a press release. Concerned family members had not been able to contact the couple for several days, prompting them to alert the officers.
Further investigation yielded information about a previous police response to the home for a possible burglary on Thursday.
“My renter saw someone hopping the fence back on Thursday and she called 911,” Amee Faggen, who owns a neighboring home, told The CW affiliate KTLA.
Initially, the police visited the residence and did not find any signs of forced entry or disturbance, leading them to initially conclude the call. However, upon examining surveillance footage and speaking with the couple’s relatives, authorities now suspect that the intruder, identified as 22-year-old Raymond Boodarian, entered the home through an unlocked door.
“The victims returned home while the suspect was inside their residence, and a confrontation ensued, which resulted in the suspect taking their lives,” police say.
Kaye and Deluca suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead, police say.
Police have not said if Boodarian randomly burglarized the home or if it was targeted.
Local NBC affiliate KNBC reports that Kaye had contacted a security firm weeks before her death because she feared for her safety.
“She felt threatened by somebody because of somebody around their home or around their neighborhood who felt suspicious,” Kris Herzog, owner of The Bodyguard Group of Beverly Hills, told the TV station. They had recently been the victims of an earlier home invasion, according to KTLA.
Kaye served as a music supervisor on “American Idol” for nearly two decades.
“We are devastated to hear of Robin and her dear husband, Tom’s, passing,” an American Idol spokesperson said in a statement released to KNBC. “Robin has been a cornerstone of the Idol family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her. Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”
Her IMDB profile shows that she also worked on other shows such as “Hollywood Game Night” and “Lip Sync Battle” along with several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
