A 22-year-old former baseball prospect sought in a double homicide in Corona that left his father and a home security system sub-contractor dead, and his uncle on life support, was taken into custody Friday.
Brandon Willie Martin was arrested in the 800 block of Derby Street in Corona after police saw him driving a truck that was taken from the crime scene the night before, the Corona Police Department stated in a news release.
The investigation began when a caller reported a male victim not breathing about 6:35 p.m. Thursday at a residence in the 1000 block of Winthrop Drive, according to the Police Department.
Officers arrived to find 64-year-old Michael Martin, the suspect’s father, and 62-year-old Barry Swanson, a sub-contractor for home security company ADT, deceased at the location, the news release stated.
The suspect’s uncle, Ricky Lee Anderson, 51, was found with life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital where he was placed on life support, according to the Police Department.
Police declined to describe how the victims were attacked or whether a weapon was recovered.
Brandon Martin initially fled from police when they spotted him in the truck, according to the news release.
Following a short pursuit, Brandon Martin fled into the backyard of a home but was apprehended with the help of a K-9 team, the Police Department said.
Brandon Martin was the 38th overall pick in the 2011 major-league draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, the Press Enterprise reported, citing BaseballAmerica.com.
Brandon Martin had missed the entire 2014 season due to “a personal matter,” according to the newspaper, which cited RaysColoredGlasses.com.
Neighbors told KTLA that the incident was a domestic dispute in which a man shot his father and uncle, as well as a home security technician, but police did not confirm the deaths were the result of a shooting.
Brandon Martin had been taken for a mental health evaluation on Tuesday after making threats against his family, Sgt. Brent Nelson of the Police Department said. He was released Thursday, according to Nelson.
A neighbor told KTLA the ADT sub-contractor was at the home to install security because family members were worried about what might happen when Martin was released.
Anyone with further information was asked to call Senior Detective Gottfried of the Corona Police Department at 951-817-5837.
Correction: An earlier version of the story incorrectly stated the date of the major league draft. The story has since been updated.
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