A California man is accused of shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend’s mother and brother at her family’s Bay Area home after the recent ending of their relationship, according to police and news reports.
Allen Swadley, who lives in San José, was arrested Thursday, February 19, on two counts of murder in the deaths of 67-year-old Lori Simonds and her son, 28-year-old Evan Simonds, the Pleasanton Police Department said in a news release shared the day following Swadley’s arrest.
Swadley, 32, appeared in Alameda County Superior Court on Tuesday, February 24, when he was ordered to return to court for a March 9 plea hearing, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
It was not immediately clear whether he had retained legal counsel as of Wednesday, February 25.
Swadley is accused of killing Lori and Evan at their Pleasanton home the morning of Wednesday, February 18, when officers received a call about shots fired at the residence, according to police.
First responders found Lori and Evan dead after arriving at the property, according to a news release.
Police said Swadley “had a recent dating relationship with a family member of the victims” and “has no prior criminal history.”
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A pool cleaner working in the backyard of the family’s home had called 911 when he heard several gunshots ring out inside the residence, according to court records viewed by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Lori’s daughter, who also lived at the home, had been away at work at the time, court records say, the newspaper reported.
Her daughter told investigators that she was aware that her Swadley had a gun and knew the location of a hidden key the family kept outside of their home, police said, according to the newspaper.
She also shared that she and Swadley broke up in December.
Swadley became a suspect within hours of the deadly shooting, police said.
He was located a day later by San José police, who pulled him over following an Automated License Plate Reader alert, according to Pleasanton police.
“The Pleasanton Police Department is continuing to investigate the suspect’s motive for the crime,” authorities said.
A GoFundMe page identified Lori’s daughter as 26-year-old Melissa Simonds, who is now “facing an unimaginable tragedy.”
“She has already endured the loss of her father at a young age, and now she must plan services for the only family she has ever known,” the page, established by a parent of one of Melissa’s friends, reads.
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Melissa attended Amador Valley High School before enrolling in nursing school, according to the page, which has been established for her mother and brother’s funeral expenses, as well as other costs to support Melissa following her loved ones’ deaths.
‘“She has worked tirelessly to put herself through nursing school and was building a promising career,” the page says. “Now, her future is uncertain as she has lost her entire family in a single moment.”
The Simonds family had lived in Pleasanton for three generations, according to the GoFundMe page.
The Pleasanton Police Department is asking anyone with information on the shooting to call police at (925) 931-5100.
