Pasadena Man Charged In Arcadia Grandmother's Homicide

ARCADIA, CA —Two weeks after the body of a 76-year-old Arcadia grandmother was found in her backyard, officials arrested and charged a Pasadena man with Capital murder, burglary and robbery Tuesday.

On April 9, the body of Chyong Jen Tsai was found by a construction crew as they arrived to work in her backyard.

Heber Enoc Diaz, 27, is set to be arraigned Friday in connection with killing Tsai.

The murder charge includes the special circumstance allegations of murder during the commission of a robbery and murder during the commission of a burglary.

Prosecutors have yet to decide whether to seek the death penalty against Diaz, who has been held without bail since he was arrested last Friday by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies as he was leaving his home.

The charges include allegations that he used a hammer, jab saw and box cutter in the commission of all but one of the crimes he's accused of committing a March 19 burglary.

Tsai died from the "combined effects of multiple sharp force injuries, multiple blunt trauma and asphyxia," according to coroner's records.

Her 2005 Lexus RX 300, stolen from her home on the 300 block of East Forest Avenue, was recovered last Thursday night in the 900 block of Colorado Boulevard. Investigators arrested Diaz the following morning, as he was leaving his home, authorities disclosed.

According to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Marvin Crowder, though the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $20,000 reward one week after Tsai’s Death, officers located Diaz without community help and that money remains unclaimed.

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