Parricides in California

In the past four months, three young men have been accused of killing their parents in Contra Costa County, California, two in the last five days. All three young men suffer from mental illness and were living at home.

[Angelito Ares, who stabbed his father to death] had a long history of mental disorder. The father had been attempting to help him with those issues, and had actually taken him in the past two years.

A local pastor said [Lymus] Howard [who beat his mother to death,] has suffered emotional problems since age 6 when he saw his father shot dead. Friends said his mother battled with Howard to get him to take his medication.

[Andrew Matas’] father said the boy hears voices, and admitted he had stopped taking his anti-psychotic medication, Risperdal. [Matas bludgeoned his mother to death with a baseball bat.]

And yet some are having trouble seeing a link in the crimes.