Torrance Youth Shot in Bangkok : Sailor’s Killing Leaves Parents in Disbelief

Nearly a week after the death of their son in Thailand, Roland and Jean Unzueta were still in disbelief Saturday over reports of how Todd Unzueta died.

Unzueta, 19, was a crewman on shore leave from the aircraft carrier Ranger when, according to Thai police, he shot and wounded two Thai policemen at a “roadside police booth” before one of them returned fire, fatally wounding him. Police said Unzueta was drunk.

Unzueta’s parents were notified at their Torrance home by Navy officials of their son’s death two days before Thanksgiving. The incident, as reported by Thai police, was “totally out of character” with his personality, his father said.

“He would never just go out and start shooting, no way,” Roland Unzueta said. “My son was never a vicious kid. He was a loving kid, athletic, and once he believed in the Navy, he joined. . . . I just don’t buy the whole report. Since the report came from the Thai police, obviously it was biased.”

The cause of the fight between Unzueta and Thai police is being investigated by the Navy and Thai authorities, a Navy spokesman in San Diego said. The Ranger was docked 100 miles southeast of Bangkok. The spokesman declined further comment.

Navy officials told the Unzueta family that they would be notified of the investigation’s results in 30 days, Roland Unzueta said.

Todd Unzueta was remembered by his father Saturday as “just a regular, loving kid,” a former Little Leaguer who took judo lessons and played basketball and football at Torrance High, where he graduated in 1986.

Awaiting the arrival of a Navy chaplain at their Torrance home yesterday, Unzueta said he was “still trying to figure out the details” surrounding his son’s death.

In his letters home, Unzueta’s initial enthusiasm for Navy life had waned, his father said. But lately that optimism seemed to have returned.

“At first, he didn’t like the Navy,” Unzueta said. “But his last few letters were very enthusiastic, and he thought it was a great outfit. He was very patriotic and talking about going to college” when he returned to the United States.

They received their son’s last letter a week before his death, Roland Unzueta said. He was “ready to do great things in the Navy,” the father said.