California man suspected of killing 90-year-old father arrested in Switzerland
Authorities on California's Central Coast said a man suspected of killing his 90-year-old father has been arrested in Europe on suspicion of murder and is awaiting extradition back to the United States.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday that 54-year-old James Smallwood was arrested by authorities in Switzerland on May 29 in connection with the death of 90-year-old Robert Smallwood.
According to deputies, relatives of the elder Smallwood reported him missing on May 18 after they were not able to contact him for several days. The following day, detectives and the sheriff's office Search and Rescue Team searched his property on Jarvis Road near the community of Scotts Valley.
During the search, police located a deceased person, later identified as Robert Smallwood. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be homicide.
A joint investigation by detectives and the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office "quickly" determined that James Smallwood was the suspect, deputies said.
According to the sheriff's office, James had been living with his father and had fled to Switzerland before his father's body was discovered by authorities.
With the help of the Swiss government, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, James Smallwood was located and taken into custody.
Additional details about his arrest were not immediately available.
"We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the SCSO Search and Rescue Team, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office, our Forensics Unit, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and Swiss authorities for their critical assistance throughout this investigation," the sheriff's office said Thursday.
James Smallwood remains in custody of Swiss authorities pending extradition proceedings. Upon his return to Santa Cruz County, he will be booked on charges of murder, elder abuse, vehicle theft and identity theft.
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