What started as a quiet Thursday evening in a high-end Los Angeles neighborhood ended in heartbreak and disbelief.
Robin Kaye, a long-time music supervisor for American Idol, and her husband, musician Thomas Deluca, were found dead in their $5 million Encino home—both fatally shot.
Now, police believe the couple were the innocent victims of a burglary gone terribly wrong.
Young Man with Troubled History Arrested for the Crime
On Tuesday, police arrested 22-year-old Raymond Boodarian at his home in Reseda, just 24 hours after the shocking discovery.
According to authorities, Boodarian didn’t know the couple.
They say he allegedly broke into the house while it was empty, intending to steal—but when Kaye and Deluca unexpectedly returned home, things turned violent.
He allegedly shot them both during a confrontation.
Neighbors Describe Disturbing Behavior Before Arrest
People living near Boodarian were not surprised by the arrest.
One neighbor, who spoke anonymously, described him as “disturbed” and said they often heard violent outbursts through the walls.
“There were times I felt like he was going to break through the drywall and come into my place,” she said, adding that police had responded to his home in the past.
She also alleged he once injured his own mother and had to be removed from the apartment strapped to a stretcher.
Family Ties and a Desperate Struggle for Help
Neighbors had some sympathy for Boodarian’s mother and sister, who moved into the complex just before the pandemic.
His mother, Sadjbibi, was described as friendly and hardworking—and someone who had reportedly been trying to get her son professional help for years.
Even her former partner, Uber driver Adin Mozafari, expressed shock and heartbreak.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe it,” he said, noting he had just spoken with Sadjbibi four days earlier and everything “seemed fine.”
A Crime of Opportunity Turns Deadly
Police say Boodarian slipped into the couple’s home without forcing entry and had been inside for about 30 minutes before they arrived.
That’s when things took a deadly turn.
Authorities say surveillance footage supports their timeline, and that the killings appear to have happened during a struggle inside the home.
Two separate calls were made to LAPD about suspicious activity that same day, but responding officers couldn’t enter the heavily secured house and didn’t see any signs of a break-in.
A welfare check days later finally led police to discover the horrifying scene.
Shock in the Neighborhood and in Hollywood
The couple’s Encino neighborhood is usually a peaceful, tree-lined area.
Neighbor Naomi Sadoun, 69, recalled seeing Kaye and Deluca often, walking their dog together.
“They were lovely people,” she said. “Robin was always friendly.
It’s just terrible. They didn’t deserve this.”
Meanwhile, the American Idol community is grieving.
In a statement, the show said Robin Kaye had been “a cornerstone of the Idol family” since 2009 and was beloved by everyone who worked with her.
A Creative Life Cut Short
Kaye had worked on nearly 300 episodes of American Idol, earning several Guild of Music Supervisors Awards for her contributions.
Her talents didn’t stop there—she also lent her musical expertise to Lip Sync Battle, Hollywood Game Night, and Worn Stories.
Her husband, Thomas Deluca, was a seasoned musician.
He released his most recent album, Street Rock, in 2022, and had earlier collaborated with acts like Kid Rock, Meredith Brooks, and Molly Hatchet.
A Home with a Story of Its Own
The couple bought their Los Angeles home just last year.
Interestingly, it was previously owned by late rapper Juice WRLD, who died in 2019 from a drug overdose.
That detail, while not connected to the crime, adds yet another layer to a home that’s now the scene of unimaginable tragedy.
Not Part of a Crime Ring, Say Police
So far, authorities do not believe Boodarian was part of any organized burglary group.
They say all evidence points to him acting alone. A motive beyond theft has not been shared, but police stress the investigation is ongoing.
A City in Mourning, a Family Devastated
As Los Angeles mourns the loss of two creative, deeply loved individuals, the question remains—how did such a senseless act unfold in one of the city’s most serene corners?
For now, the family and fans of Kaye and Deluca are left grieving and searching for answers.