LA Man Charged with Murder of Santa Monica Senior

By Niki Cervantes
Staff Writer

February 27, 2018 -- Homicide and burglary charges were filed last week against a 26-year-old Los Angeles man in connection with the murder of a senior in his Santa Monica apartment.

Roy Antonio Davis was charged in the suspicious death of 88-year-old John Hautz, whose body was found on New Year's day in his apartment in the 2300 block of 34th Street, police said Monday.

The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office last month found there was trauma to the elderly man's body and ruled it a homicide ("Santa Monica Police Search for Suspect in Elderly Man's Murder," January 10, 2018). Davis was already in Los Angeles County Jail on an unrelated robbery when Santa Monica detectives used forensics and other “investigative efforts” to link him to the death of Hautz, police said. Roy Antonio Davis booking photo (Courtesy Santa Monica Police Department)

The charges of murder and burglary were filed against Davis on Friday with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Airport Division Courthouse.

Davis remains in custody with no bail options pending court proceedings, said Santa Monica Police Lt. Saul Rodriguez, a police spokesperson.

Officers from the Santa Monica Police Department responded to a radio call for service in the 2300 block of 34th Street regarding an elderly male who appeared to be unconscious inside his apartment.

They discovered his body upon entering the apartment.

The elderly man lived alone, and seemed to keep to himself, police said. His kin were out of the country.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact Detective Leone (310) 458-8949; Detective Elias (310) 458-8943; or the Santa Monica Police Department at (310) 458-8491.