Crime & Safety Orange County Man Shot, Killed While Camping With Daughters An OC man tent camping in Malibu Canyon with his two children was shot and killed. Family and friends remember Tristan Beaudette. Reply IRVINE, CA — An Irvine man was killed while tent camping with his two young daughters in Malibu Canyon, authorities said. Tristan Beaudette, 35, of Irvine, was fatally shot inside a tent in the popular campground at Malibu Creek State Park. He was on a camping trip with his daughters, ages 2 and 4, who were unharmed. Their mother was reportedly studying for an exam and did not make the trip. "Words cannot express the absolute devastation and sorrow we feel from the loss of someone so dear to our family," friends of Beaudette said on the GoFundMe page established for his family. Detectives have not revealed the exact time of the shooting, but were summoned to the campground at 4:44 a.m. Friday, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Beaudette's killer remains at large, and a motive for the shooting is unknown. Sheriff's homicide detectives said Monday they were aware of the reports of at least two cars getting shot at in the same area, one of which involved a woman who posted video of a bullet hole in her vehicle along with photo of a shotgun slug that she said pierced the tailgate as she slept inside. On Sunday, Los Angeles television stations KTLA5 and ABC7 reported that a Simi Valley woman and her boyfriend had been sleeping in their car's cargo area last January when it was hit by a large shotgun slug. Meliss Tatangelo says they were awakened by a "large thump" about 5 a.m., but went back to sleep. Later that morning, they discovered a bullet hole in the back hatch area, and a large shotgun slug rolling around inside the cargo area. Tatangelo said in a Facebook posting that she drove back to the park, called rangers, and had them examine the bullet hole and slug. She said the rangers told her that the slug had been fired at close range into the car. In a statement released late Monday morning, Deputy Joana Warren said "homicide detectives are aware there have been other shootings near the location in the past. However, there is no evidence that suggests this incident is related to any prior shootings near the location. The investigation is ongoing and there is no further information that will be released." On May 16, the lifeless body of a man was found in a ditch, across the road from the Malibu Creek. The coroner's office reported that Francisco Reynaldo Cruz, 52, of Los Angeles, had been killed by "sharp force injuries" to the chest and neck, as well as from a "blunt force injury to the head."<doc-sep>The family of a 35-year-old man who was fatally shot while camping with his two young daughters at Malibu Creek State Park described him as a “supportive and generous husband” in a statement Sunday night. Tristan Beaudette was shot at least once in the upper torso at about 4:45 a.m. on Friday, sheriff’s officials said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The children, ages 2 and 4, were not hurt in the shooting. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Rodney Moore said Sunday that investigators are still trying to identify the assailant, and are sifting through evidence from the scene for leads. “The theory we are working with is he was shot inside the tent,” Moore said. “The children were inside the tent, too. Advertisement “We are working this as a homicide at this point,” he said. “We are gathering evidence.... It will take some time.” Beaudette’s family said he was a “scientist who loved cooking and microbrews.” They said he was married to his high school sweetheart and was “happiest out in nature. “His selfless devotion to his children came naturally, and Tristan found true joy in all aspects of being a father,” the family said. “The grief and trauma this loss has caused our close-knit family is indescribable.” The shooting occurred inside the popular campground in an area frequented by hikers. Malibu Creek State Park is four miles south of Highway 101 and is known around the world as the backdrop for the TV series “MASH,” as well as the movies “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and the original “Planet of the Apes.” Its 15 miles of hiking trails set among 8,200 scenic acres are a well-known destination spot for Angelenos on weekends. richard.winton@latimes.com nicole.santacruz@latimes.com UPDATES: Advertisement June 24, 11:30 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from the victim’s family. This article was originally published June 23 at 6:10 p.m.<doc-sep>Tristan Beaudette, a father who was killed while camping with his two young daughters at Malibu Creek State Park campground, was shot in the head, a coroner’s spokesman revealed Wednesday. The announcement comes as Los Angeles County sheriff’s homicide detectives continue to investigate the slaying while examining a series of other shootings in the area of the state park off Las Virgenes Road. Los Angeles County coroner’s Deputy Chief Ed Winter said that an autopsy had determined that Beaudette, 35, of Irvine was killed by a gunshot to the head last Friday shortly before 5 a.m at the campground. Winter said further details of the medical examiner’s findings would be available once a full medical report is transcribed. Beaudette, a scientist who worked in pharmaceuticals, was camping at the state park in Calabasas just off Las Virgenes Road when he was fatally shot inside his tent, where he was sleeping with his 2- and 4-year-old daughters. Advertisement Since the slaying, information has emerged that at least five other shootings have occurred in the area in the last two years, outraging some neighbors who complained they had not been notified of the attacks by the sheriff’s department. Nicole Nishida, a sheriff’s department spokeswoman, said three other shootings occurred in the last year “nearby within the sheriff’s jurisdiction.” Nishida said the shootings happened June 6, 2017; July 22, 2017; and June 18, 2018. Detectives will also be working with officials from the California State Parks Department to compare any similar incidents that have occurred within Malibu Creek State Park, Nishida said. Nishida provided the numbers to The Times after the newspaper published accounts from 2016 and January 2017 of shootings that targeted campers. A young man hiking the Backbone Trail and sleeping overnight in a hammock in Tapia Park, just south of Malibu Creek State Park, was struck by birdshot from a shotgun on Nov. 3, 2016. James Rogers said he needed surgery to remove the pellets that hit him. “I heard a loud bang and then felt a burning sensation in my arm and fell to the ground,” he said. “Before I could look at my wound, I did a quick check of the perimeter and I saw nothing. “I sleep with my arm up by my head, and I suspect I was shot at close range,” he said. Rogers said there has been no headway in the investigation of his shooting. He said he was not sleeping in a formal campground and was about 200 yards from Malibu Canyon Road when he was shot in his right arm. Advertisement “I was told by those working out there, there have been several other shootings,” he said. Meliss Tatangelo was camping in her Honda when she heard a loud noise around 5 a.m. in January 2017. She and another camper did not go outside, but she later found part of an ammunition round in the back of her car where she had been sleeping. She reported the incident to authorities, she noted on her Facebook page. She wrote that she believes a shotgun was fired from about 20 feet away and if the line of fire had been an inch higher, she would have been struck as she slept. L.A. County Sheriff’s Lt. Rodney Moore, who is overseeing the latest investigation, said in an interview Monday that detectives had no evidence connecting any prior shootings to Beaudette’s death but that they also could not rule out any potential links. Advertisement The campground at Malibu Creek State Park remains closed indefinitely since Friday’s shooting. “The safety of park visitors is our top priority,” parks officials said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the victim and his family during this difficult time.” Beaudette, an Irvine resident and a veteran of the outdoors, was camping to allow his wife, an Orange County obstetrician, some quiet time to study for an examination. Before 5 a.m., sheriff’s deputies responded to a call regarding shots fired in the area and found Beaudette bleeding. He died before he could be taken to a hospital. Deputies and police dogs scoured the campground and surrounding trails for clues. Advertisement In a statement, Nishida said, “Malibu/Lost Hills Station has previously increased patrols in the areas nearby following the prior incidents, and has canvassed the surrounding residences in an effort to obtain any workable information. Deputies will continue to maintain a highly visible presence in the vicinity to ensure public safety.” richard.winton@latimes.com Twitter: @lacrimes<doc-sep>
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Friday it has identified seven shootings in the Malibu Creek State Park area, but have yet to link them to the death of a father who was fatally shot earlier this month while camping with his two young daughters. The Sheriff’s Department said three of the shootings occurred in its jurisdiction, while the other four were in the state park’s jurisdiction. The incidents occurred between 2016 and this month. Tristan Beaudette, a scientist who worked in pharmaceuticals, was camping at the state park in Calabasas just off Las Virgenes Road when he was fatally shot in the head June 22 inside his tent, where he was sleeping with his 2- and 4-year-old daughters. The Times reported earlier this week that at least five other shootings have occurred in the area in the last two years, outraging some neighbors who complained they had not been notified of the attacks by the Sheriff’s Department. Detectives will be working with officials from the California State Parks Department to compare any similar incidents that have occurred within Malibu Creek State Park. A young man hiking the Backbone Trail and sleeping overnight in a hammock in Tapia Park, just south of Malibu Creek State Park, was struck by birdshot from a shotgun on Nov. 3, 2016. James Rogers said he needed surgery to remove the pellets that hit him. “I heard a loud bang and then felt a burning sensation in my arm and fell to the ground,” he said. “Before I could look at my wound, I did a quick check of the perimeter and I saw nothing. “I sleep with my arm up by my head, and I suspect I was shot at close range,” he told The Times in an interview this week. Rogers said there has been no headway in the investigation of his shooting. He said he was not sleeping in a formal campground and was about 200 yards from Malibu Canyon Road when he was shot in his right arm. “I was told by those working out there, there have been several other shootings,” he said. Meliss Tatangelo was camping in her Honda when she heard a loud noise around 5 a.m. in January 2017. She and another camper did not go outside, but she later found part of an ammunition round in the back of her car where she had been sleeping. She reported the incident to authorities, she noted on her Facebook page. She wrote that she believes a shotgun was fired from about 20 feet away and if the line of fire had been an inch higher, she would have been struck as she slept. L.A. County Sheriff’s Lt. Rodney Moore, who is overseeing the latest investigation, said in an interview Monday that detectives had no evidence connecting any prior shootings to Beaudette’s death but that they could not rule out any potential links. Besides Beaudette’s fatal shooting on June 22, here are the dates of the shootings in and around Malibu Creek State Park: