death penalty news September 22, 2004
CALIFORNIA: Father faces death penalty The Hillsborough man who allegedly stabbed his 17-year-old son to death at a Montara beach early Saturday faces the death penalty if convicted of the charges filed against him yesterday. Charles Loo, 50, was formally slapped with first-degree murder, the use of a knife and lying in wait. The last special allegation makes the case eligible for the death penalty. It also means prosecutors believe Loo planned to kill his son, Benson, and waited for the opportunity to pounce. "We think there is evidence of what we commonly call an ambush which is watching and waiting," said Deputy District Attorney Martin Murray. Few details have emerged about the crime since sheriff's deputies found Benson Loo dead and his injured father hiding in nearby bushes at Montara State Beach about 7:37 a.m. Saturday. Charles Loo was treated for self-inflicted knife wounds but was quickly released to the custody of the county jail on suspicion of murder. As late as yesterday, the District Attorney's Office did not expect to file the lying in wait charge but prosecutors are staying mum on what specifically changed their minds. "We think he lured the boy when he convinced him to go into the wooded area. We think he planned to kill the boy," Martin said. Sheriff's deputies are still trying to piece together what brought the Loos to the coastal town at that hour and what exactly transpired between them. Sheriff's Lt. Lisa Williams referred all questions to the District Attorney's Office. Autopsy results on Benson Loo have still not been released. The Loo residence on Homeplace Court has no history of disturbances or police calls, said Hillsborough Capt. Mark O'Conner. Loo did not enter a plea to any of the charges and the case was continued until Oct. 4 so he can hire his own attorney. Loo, dressed in a mustard-yellow jail jumpsuit and with disheveled salt-and-pepper hair, spoke in halting English yesterday during the brief arraignment. However, Judge Barbara Mallach ordered a Mandarin interpreter for future court appearances. Members of Loo's family, but not his wife, appeared at court but did not speak publicly. Loo remains in custody on no-bail status. Meanwhile, Aragon High School is providing grief counselors and peer helpers for Benson Loo's classmates. (source: San Mateo Daily Journal)
