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Couple stabbed A husband and wife are dead and their adult son seriously injured after violence erupted in their Pacific Palisades home early today.
to death, son hurt
Neighbors heard yelling
and screams coming from
the Pacific Palisades homeBy Jaymes K. Song
Star-BulletinPolice were called to 2318 Apapa St. at 3:49 a.m. and found the 41-year-old son, who has Down syndrome, lying in the carport with stab wounds. He was taken to Queen's Medical Center in critical condition.
Inside the home, officers discovered the injured man's parents stabbed to death in the master bedroom of their one-story home.
The parents were identified by family and friends as Melvin and Margaret Sodetani.
Homicide investigators, who were continuing to examine the scene this morning, said there were no initial signs of an intruder. A kitchen knife, believed to be the murder weapon, was found in the home.
It was unclear this morning who was the culprit, but a police source said case was being investigated as a "murder-suicide."
James and Alice Urcia, who live next-door, described the family as "the perfect neighbors." The Urcias have known the Sodetani family for more than 30 years. They said there were no signs of domestic violence.
"My heart sank when I heard what happened," said Alice, tearfully. "They are such a nice family."
She said she and her husband heard yelling earlier this morning. They later found the son lying injured in the carport, crying.
Melvin Sodetani would have celebrated his 80th birthday today, the Urcias said. He used an oxygen tank because he had emphysema. His wife was in her 70s.
Howard Nakashima, who worked as a carpenter with Melvin Sodetani at Hawaiian Dredging in the 1970s, was in disbelief.
"Mel was hard working ... always helps people," he said. "It's hard to believe."
Neighbor Joe Ganal saw the family yesterday and everything appeared to be "normal."
Ganal was awakened by the screams coming from Sodetani's son, Randy, who was known to many people because he worked at the McDonald's restaurant at Ala Moana Center clearing tables.
"I heard the boy yelling and pounding on the wall," he said.
Jay Alcisto, 28, has known Randy Sodetani since childhood and called him a very nice person who was well liked in the neighborhood.
Other neighbors also were shocked to find several police officers and investigators in their quiet residential area and their block cordoned off with yellow police tape.
"It's such a safe and quiet neighborhood. When something like this happens, it's traumatic," said Lisa Olmos. Olmos, who also knew the Sodetanis, said they were friendly and well-respected.