Man Spends His 31st Birthday Stabbing Two Housemates To Death, Injuring A Third [UPDATED]
A homicide investigation was underway this morning after a man allegedly stabbed two women to death and injured a man in a shared condominium in Torrance.
Deputies received a call at 8:23pm on Sunday and responded to the scene of the murders: a complex in the 21800 block of South Vermont Avenue near Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
"The wounded man came running out as deputies arrived and gave them information about where the suspect was," said sheriff's homicide Lt. Holly Francisco, according to City News Service. "The first deputies found one female victim dead with several stab wounds and the suspect locked in a back bedroom,'' Francisco continued. A SWAT team was called to assist in apprehending the suspect, who had placed large items behind the bedroom door to block entry.
SWAT burst through the barricade at about 9pm, discovering a naked suspect and the second female victim, 58, who had died from multiple stab wounds. The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Virgil Tyrone Tate, was taken into custody without incident. His bail was set at $1 million.
The three victims and the suspect lived together in the condo, but investigators "are not sure about their relationship," said Francisco. Authorities have reported that the female victims, ages 32 and 58, were mother and daughter. The 36-year-old male victim suffered several stab wounds and was transported to a hospital with stable vital signs.
Investigators are working to determine a motive in the slayings. Jail records show Sunday marked Tate's 31st birthday, reports Press-Telegram.
UPDATE 4:20 PM The two female victims have been identified as Tracie Ann Brooks and her mother, Carol Susan Brooks, aka Susie, according to City News Service. Tracie's friends said the late victim was 36-years-old while the sheriff's department reported Tracie's age as 32. She had just finished college and planned to attend nursing school.
Recent reports say Tracie and Tate were dating and talking about getting married. While Marian Brooks, the sister of Susie Brooks' former husband, said Tate "seemed like a nice guy," two of Susie's co-workers described him as "'a piece of (expletive)' with 'crazy eyes' who seemed to be on drugs." One of the co-workers said, "He's not working. It was his birthday, so he was probably drinking. He's a shady-looking, grungy guy."
