THROUGH THE NET

Ramon Escobar: Suspect Questioned Days Before Brutal California Homeless Murders

Ramon Escobar was brought in by Texas police just days before killings started.

The man accused of beating three homeless people to death with a baseball bat in California was questioned by police days before the series of brutal killings began. The admission came a day after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials confirmed Ramon Escobar, 47, had been deported from the U.S. six times. Escobar, who has also been questioned in the disappearances of his uncle and aunt in Texas, was interrogated and released by Houston police on Aug. 30. Days later, he headed to California—and the attacks began. Two homeless men sleeping on a beach were bludgeoned in the head early on Sept. 8 and 10. Another man was found dead under the Santa Monica Pier on Sept. 20. Escobar was charged Wednesday in Los Angeles County with three counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder, and four counts of second-degree robbery in attacks involving homeless men.