A 92-year-old millionaire developer was found dead and decomposing in a swanky beach home in California’s Hermosa Beach last week, and a suspect was arrested after a seven-hour standoff.
Hermosa Beach police said they were asked to conduct a welfare check shortly after noon on Saturday after a landlord at the home reported that they hadn’t heard from a tenant there in several days.
“Upon arrival, officers observed evidence suggesting a possible deceased person was inside the residence,” police said. “The property manager allowed officers access to the location, where they encountered an individual inside who was not the tenant. The individual was uncooperative, made statements indicating possibly being armed, and barricaded themself inside the residence.”
SWAT teams responded to the home and negotiators eventually persuaded the suspect to surrender.
Once inside the home, investigators found the dead man, later identified as prominent real estate developer Demetrius Doukoullos, KTLA reported.
The suspect was identified by two names, 39-year-old Robert Phillip Simmons and Elanor Beaulieu. During the stand-off, residents and tourists were evacuated from the area. Simmons/Beaulieu finally came out of the residence looking like a “Blues Brother,” wearing a dark suit, white shirt, dark tie, sunglasses, and fedora.
On Tuesday, prosecutors charged Simmons/Beaulieu with a single count of murder. The indictment said that investigators believe Doukoullos was killed sometime between March 7 and March 14.
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[Featured image: Simmons/Beulieu surrenders/KCBS screenshot]
