Family of man killed in Malibu Creek State Park tent sues sheriff’s department

MALIBU — The family of a man who was shot to death while camping at Malibu Creek State Park with his children has filed claims for more than $90 million against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and other state and local agencies, accusing them of failing to warn the public about several shootings in and around the area before the slaying, it was reported Friday.

Tristan Beaudette, 35, an Orange County father of two, was killed in June, the target of a gunman who took random potshots at several others who camped near the popular hiking trails, prosecutors have said.

Anthony Rauda, 42, a vagrant who lived in in the surrounding area, has been charged with one count of murder in the fatal shooting of Beaudette and 10 counts of attempted murder. Rauda was also charged in a series of burglaries of homes and offices nearby.

Claims for damages were filed last month on behalf of Beaudette’s widow, Erica Wu, and the couple’s 2- and 4-year-old daughters, who were camping with their father in a tent when he was shot, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

Authorities did not reveal the other shootings until after Beaudette’s death, following inquiries by the Times and other news media.

“The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, California State Park Police, Department of Parks and Recreation, and California State Parks and Recreation Commission have confirmed they were aware of at least seven unsolved shootings in Malibu Creek State Park,” state the claims filed by attorney Victor George state.

The claims allege that deputies and state park officials “negligently failed to care and provide a safe space for Beaudette and his children, instead causing his death.”

Sheriff’s and parks officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Rauda was arrested near Malibu last October in connection with a string of burglaries, but news that he was carrying a rifle at the time of his capture led to speculation that he might have been the gunman connected to the sporadic shootings. Forensic tests confirmed that the rifle he was arrested with was used in several of the shootings, said two law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the case candidly.

Beaudette’s killing in June was the last in the series of attacks, and it left residents of the greater Malibu area unnerved and frustrated.