Transient Held In Restroom Death

Police were questioning Brandon Wilson about an attempted robbery when, they say, he made a surprising admission: He had recently killed a boy in a public restroom near a beach.

Wilson, 20, of St. Croix Falls, Wis., gave Los Angeles officers explicit details about the weekend slashing death of 9-year-old Matthew Louis Cecchi, Oceanside police Lt. Dave Heering said.

The transient was charged Monday with first-degree murder and held without bond pending arraignment Tuesday afternoon. "He is talking candidly," Heering said. "We're confident we have the right suspect."

CBS station KCBS-TV in Los Angeles reports that Wilson was arrested Monday after being chased down by witnesses to a Hollywood robbery and stabbing.

Police said he tried to snatch the purse of garment worker Maria Rosales, 40, and repeatedly stabbed her when she fought him. Three of her co-workers caught Wilson and held him until police arrived. Rosales was hospitalized in stable condition.

While being questioned, police said Wilson volunteered information about the murder of a boy Saturday night in Oceanside, about 90 miles south of Los Angeles.

Cecchi, from the Northern California community of Oroville, was camping with his mother, 3-year-old brother, and other relatives as part of a family reunion at Oceanside Harbor.

The boy's aunt escorted him to a public restroom and noticed that a young man followed him in. She became worried when the man exited but the boy didn't. She went inside and found the boy, who had been stabbed.

Police say they believe one of two weapons found on Wilson was used to kill the boy.

A motive was still undetermined. Authorities in Wisconsin said Wilson was arrested in January in St. Croix Falls on suspicion of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Louis Cecchi, the boy's father, said he hoped Wilson would be executed for killing his son.

"There are predators out there killing our children, and it's got to stop," he said.