Santa Monica Police Search for Suspect in Elderly Man's Murder

By Jorge Casuso

January 10, 2018 -- Police are looking for a suspect in the apparent homicide of an 88-year-old man whose body was found in his Santa Monica apartment on New Year's day.

John Hautz was found at around 1 p.m. by police responding to a radio call for service in the 2300 block of 34th Street, said Lt. Saul Rodriguez, the Police Department spokesman.

Homicide victim John Hautz (Courtesy Santa Monica Police Department)

The elderly man "appeared to be unconscious inside of his residence," Rodriguez said. "Officers made entry into the residence and discovered the man was deceased." A medical examination by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office found that the death was a homicide. "Based on the coroner's results, there was trauma to the body," Rodriguez said. The police investigation, which revealed possible suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, is on-going, police said.

Police are seeking to locate the next of kin or anyone who may have been in communication with the deceased.

"He lived alone," Rodriguez said. "We spoke to a few people in the complex. My understanding is he kept to himself."

The victim's next of kin are out of the country "in another part of the world," he said.

It is unclear whether anything was taken from the apartment, Rodriguez said.

Anyone with information should call the Santa Monica Police Department at (310) 458-8449. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.