In June of 2018, Tristan Beaudette was camping with his children and daughters when a shot from nowhere hit him, killing the man. The incident came on the heels of a series of shooting incidents that appeared random within the region and led to speculation that a sniper may be in the area.
Investigation Discovery’s “Citizen P.I.: Malibu Sniper” chronicles the background of the search for Tristan’s killer, and the way authorities restrained the man who they thought was the culprit months after the fact. We’ll find out more details about this case.
Let’s get started, shall we?
How Did Tristan Beaudette Die?
Tristan was a member of the research and development department within Allergan, the pharmaceutical company. He was 35 years old and married the girl he was in high school with, Erica Wu, and they had two daughters, who were at the ages of two and four.
Tristan has been described as a devoted husband and father who loved cooking and being outdoors. He was a frequent hiker as well as camping and biking. It was on one of his camp excursions with his family when tragedy struck.
At around 4:40 am on June 22, 2018, the police were informed of a shooting incident at Malibu Creek State Park in California. Tristan had been camping with his daughters and other members of the family that night, while Erica returned to her study for an examination.
When Tristan was sleeping inside his tent, he received a strike to the chest. He was declared dead on the spot. His daughters were unharmed.
Who Killed Tristan Beaudette?
There wasn’t much evidence on the site. The authorities have confirmed that no one witnessed anyone entering the camp at the time of the incident, adding to the frustration of those who were there. A reward was provided for any information that led to the arrest.
However, the motive or murderer remained a mystery for a couple of months. But, there was an emerging pattern of numerous random shootings happening in the region that began in November of 2016.
In October of 2018, authorities launched an operation to find an armed suspect taking food from several locations in the Calabasas, California, area. The month before, there was a scuffle at the community center where a person was able to steal food from vending machines.
Police scoured for footprints around the area and found the suspect, identified as Anthony Rauda, then 42 years old, who was found in a ravine. The man was arrested and taken to the police station for detention. The police said that Anthony was carrying a gun in his possession when he was arrested.
Anthony had a criminal history dating back to Anthony being in jail for violations of weapons in December 2018 as well as for parole violations the month before. Authorities believe Anthony was behind the string of shootings occurring in the vicinity.
The shooting spree began in November of 2016 when James Rogers was shot while lying in a hammock in the park. A week later, a gunshot was fired into the sleeping space of a vehicle that was parked.
In 2017, there were three instances where vehicles were shot in the area around the park. In June of 2018, four days before the death of Tristan, the gunman fired at a car while it drove near Malibu Creek State Park.
Anthony has also been accused of the numerous burglaries that took place within the vicinity. The suspect was only able to steal food and food items, and the police believed that this was due to the fact that the area was a wilderness and only appeared for sustenance when he was in need.
Where is Anthony Rauda Now?
Anthony was arrested for murder and 10 charges of attempted murder, along with five other counts of second-degree burglary.
The detectives stated that they compared the bullets of Tristan’s death and the shooting incidents that occurred with the ammunition Anthony was believed to have brought with him and that was the reason for the charges being made.
According to the story his case was rescheduled until he was able to find a lawyer. In addition, there were concerns regarding his ability to be tried. At present, he is still in custody and has kept the innocence of his family.
