LA junkie charged in murder of ‘American Idol' exec spent six months in jail after attacking his family with knife — and had all charges dropped

New York Post

2 days ago

The Los Angeles lowlife accused of killing 'American Idol' executive Robin Kaye in cold blood was previously accused of pulling a knife on his stepfather and threatening his own mother and sister — but only spent six months in custody before his charges were dismissed.
Raymond Boodarian, 22, threatened his stepfather with a blade in November 2023 in the first in a series of busts in just eight months, according to KABC and court documents.
He was arrested in February 2023 for misdemeanor battery and threatening his mother and sister — and then again in June 2024, the network reported.
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4 Raymond Boodarian, 22, was arrested Tuesday without incident at his Los Angeles home by numerous police officers.
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Details of the latter collar weren't clear.
Boodarian was released the same day as his November and February arrests, but spent six months in jail for his June arrest — and then all the charges against him were dropped when he was declared mentally incompetent, placed on a conservatorship and let go in December.
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On Tuesday — just seven months later — Boodarian was nabbed in the alleged murder of Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca after breaking into the 70-year-olds' Encino home.
It remains unclear exactly why Boodarian's charges were dropped, but California legal experts suggested he may have qualified for California's Mental Health Diversion program — which gives people with verified mental illnesses the opportunity to complete a treatment program in lieu of prison time, and then walk away scot-free without charges, convictions, or any monitoring or probation of any kind.
4 Robin Kaye and Thomas Deluca, both 70, were gunned down in their Encino home on Thursday.
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And nearly every crime in California is eligible for the program — with only accused murderers and sex offenders not qualifying.
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'I've gotten mental health diversion for clients for attempted murder at least seven, eight times,' said Kenneth Rosenfeld, whose Rosenfeld Law Firm specializes in mental health and crime.
'I've gotten mental health diversions for a client that shot a police officer, where the person has no criminal record.'
The program typically consists of 18 months to two years of rigorous mental health treatment, Rosenfeld explained, but that six-month programs like Boodarian may have been in were not unheard of.
'It gives somebody the opportunity to get medication, to get the mental health illness identified, whichever one it might be,' Rosenfeld said, noting that to be admitted into the program somebody needs to have thoroughly documented and severe mental troubles.
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4 The couple's $4.5 million home is just 15 minutes from their suspected killer's condo.
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But once they complete the program and the charges are dropped, the accused are free to return to their communities as if their alleged crimes never happened — without any mandated monitoring from authorities or mental health professionals.
'There's no probation because there's no conviction, the charges are dismissed,' Rosenfeld said.
'So why would somebody like this who had documented mental health issues, why would they be able to get out on the streets and potentially commit an offense like this? It's because the charges that he was facing were not charges that made him ineligible under California law for mental health diversion,' he added.
Boodarian's mental health problems were well known at home — neighbors say there were explosive fights at his house, that he would behave erratically around the block and was frequently high on various drugs.
'He would sit in front of my friend's house just staring and smiling. He did that on multiple occasions, sometimes in his own house, just looking out the window and smiling,' one neighbor told The Post, agreeing with others that families on the street were wary and scared of Boodarian.
4 Boodarian's home, where neighbors say he would frequently wander the street frightening them.
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Boodarian was arrested on murder charges without incident at his home just 15 minutes from Kaye and Deluca's $4.5 million mansion.
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It's alleged that he broke into the home on Thursday and then shot the couple when they walked in on him.
Police connected him to the killing using fingerprints from his previous arrests. He was also allegedly seen on security footage at the couple's house.
Boodarian was charged with two counts of murder and first-degree residential burglary and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole — or the death penalty.
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'In a matter of moments, this couple was senselessly killed in their own home as they returned from the grocery store,' District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. 'This tragic shooting has shaken a valley community and the notion that home should be our safe sanctuary. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their family and friends who are grieving this tremendous loss.'
Though Boodarian's murder case disqualifies him from California's Mental Health Diversion, legal experts still think he's likely to spend most of his life behind bars if convicted.
'I don't think that they're going to seek the death penalty. But certainly life imprisonment is on the table,' said Danny Rubin of Rubin Law, PC. 'And if he does argue for not guilty by reason of insanity, he may be going to a mental health facility for a very, very long time.
'And that may be even worse than going to jail for life.'