Son Of Couple Killed In Suspicious Diamond Bar House Fire Arrested On Murder Charges

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DIAMOND BAR (CBSLA) — The son of an elderly couple killed in a suspicious house fire in Diamond Bar last week has been captured and charged with their murders.

Ryan Michael Venti, 33, was arrested Nov. 5, 2018, on murder charges in the deaths of his parents, who were found dead Oct. 30 in a fire at their Diamond Bar home. (L.A. County Sheriff's Department)

Deputies with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department have been searching for 33-year-old Ryan Michael Venti since the bodies of his parents, 66-year-old Linda Venti and 75-year-old John Venti, were found Oct. 30 burned in the home they shared with him in the 3600 block of Crooked Creek Drive.

Venti was taken into custody at about 8 p.m. Monday after neighbors called 911 to report seeing him at his parents' burned out home. Venti appeared to have spent several days hiding in the hills and brush surrounding the home, the sheriff's department reported Tuesday.

Sheriff's arson detectives are assisting with determining the origin and cause of the fire, which they say appears to have been intentionally set. Investigators believe an accelerant was used in the fire.

The bodies of the couple were found by firefighters in a burned out bedroom. It's unclear if the couple died before the blaze broke out.

Last week, sheriff's Lt. John Corina told reporters that Ryan may be suffering from a mental illness.

The elderly couple had just recently retired, neighbors told CBS2.

Venti was booked into jail on $2 million bail.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the LASD's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or text the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website.