A transient fatally assaulted an elderly man in Garden Grove Wednesday night, according to police.
Garden Grove resident Chuong Pham, 87, died after he was attacked by Mario Brancato, a 26-year-old homeless person, in the 9900 block of Central Avenue at about 7:30 p.m., the Garden Grove Police Department said in a news release.
The incident was initially reported to officers as a burglary, but when police arrived, they found Brancato “being restrained on the ground by numerous residents who live in the area,” the release said.
Those residents took officers to Pham, who was unresponsive and later succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital.
“At this time, there is no known connection between the suspect and the victim,” the release said.
Brancato was booked into Orange County Jail.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Rogers at 714-741-5413 or Garden Grove Police Department Investigations at 714-741-5800.