KTLA

Father, twin daughters found dead in apparent murder-suicide in Placentia, police say

A man found dead in a Placentia neighborhood apparently took his own life after fatally stabbing his twin daughters in a nearby home early Wednesday morning, authorities said.

Officers responded to the 400 block of Swanson Avenue regarding an unknown disturbance about 12:40 a.m., according to a news release from the Placentia Police Department.


A wounded man was found in the grass of a front yard when officers arrived. Police also found two girls bleeding and suffering from stab wounds in a home across the street, a spokesperson from the Police Department said.

Timothy Takehara is seen in an undated photo released Oct. 7, 2020, by the Placentia Police Department.

Paramedics responded and pronounced the 9-year-old girls dead at the scene, police said.

Two other people who were inside the home at the time, the girls’ mother and the man’s mother, were unharmed, according to the Police Department.

The man, who investigators believe is the father of the children, was also pronounced dead. He was later identified as Timothy Takehara, 41.

Investigators described the incident as a suspected murder-suicide and said there are currently no known outstanding suspects.

Anyone with further information is asked to call the Placentia Police Department at 714-993-8164. Those who prefer to remain anonymous can contact Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS.