Police still holding home invasion parolee suspect

The Richmond Police Department is still holding a suspect in relation to a home invasion turned homicide late last month, but hasn’t formally charged the man yet.

Five members of the same family had their world shattered before 4 a.m. Aug 26 at 3234 Moran Ave. as a man fired shots in their house, killing 67-year-old Sushila Prasad and seriously injuring another man who lives there.

Police have been holding a 21-year-old suspect since the day of the shooting, but haven’t released his name.

“He was on parole and usually what happens if you get somebody in custody that’s on parole… is the parole agent will put a hold on them for the crime they’re being investigated for,” said Det. Nicole Abetkov of the Richmond Police Department.

Non-parolees can be held for only 72 hours before the police have to press charges, Abetkov added, but the suspect in the late August homicide has been held longer “because he was on parole and there was some other stuff his parole agent could’ve violated him for.”

Abetkov said that Richmond police are waiting to receive a gunshot residue test sent to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office. She said these tests can take up to two weeks to come back.

Although the house lies on the end of a dead-end street next to some brush and businesses, Abetkov said: “There’s no particular reason why [the suspect] picked that house.”