On Friday, April 4, 2025, at approximately 5:45 p. m., Marina Del Rey Station deputies observed a white Ford E-150 van parked along the 5400 block of Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, which matched the description of a wanted homicide vehicle out of Louisiana. Deputies conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and detained the sole occupant, 34-year-old Joshua Brocato.
Deputies confirmed Joshua Brocato was a wanted person out of Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office (TPSO) for two counts of 1st Degree Murder.
Around 1 p.m., Thursday, April 3, 2025, TPSO was requested to conduct a welfare check on a home on Eastwood Drive in the Amite area, Louisiana. When TPSO deputies arrived, they found 66-year-old Priscilla Brocato deceased inside the residence. Her husband, 75-year-old Marc Brocato, was later found deceased on the couple’s property.
Their son, Joshua Brocato, was unaccounted for and initially sought as a person of interest. Following autopsies of the couple, an arrest warrant for two counts of 1st Degree Murder was issued for Joshua Brocato by TPSO.
During the investigation, Detectives from TPSO determined Priscilla and Marc Brocato were shot to death between Monday, March 31, 2025, and Tuesday, April 1st, 2025. It is believed Joshua Brocato fled to California within three days of the homicide. The reason for the crime is still unknown. TPSO alerted serval law enforcement agencies in Southern California.
Marina Del Rey Station deputies arrested Suspect Brocato for TPSO’s Murder Arrest Warrant, without incident. During the course of the deputies’ investigation, they discovered Suspect Brocato was in possession of body-armor and several loaded firearms including an assault rifle.
Suspect Brocato was additionally charged with several firearms charges including Possession of a Loaded Unregistered Firearm, 25850(a) California Penal Code, Possession of an Assault Weapon, 30605(a) California Penal Code, and Alter or Remove a Serial Number on a Firearm, 23900 California Penal Code. Suspect Brocato has been booked at Marina Del Rey Sheriff’s Station (booking #6996973) with no bail, pending a court date of April 8, 2025, at LAX Municipal Courthouse.
The Sheriff’s Department will be working with TPSO regarding his transfer to Tangipahoa Parish in Louisiana.
Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Gerald Sticker encourages anyone with information to contact Criminal Investigations at 985-902-2088 or Louisiana State Police Suspicious Activity Hotline at 1-800-434-8007.
If you’d prefer to share information anonymously, you can do so through Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa’s tip line at 1-800-554-5245 or by visiting www.tangicrimestoppers.com and clicking on the P3 Tips icon or Submit A Tip.
Forwarded by:
Sheriff's Information Bureau
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
211 West Temple Street
Los Angeles California 90012
http://www.lasd.org
213-229-1700
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Robert Luna, Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
