Transient Accused in Homeless Man’s Death

A 34-year-old transient was arrested Tuesday and police were seeking a murder warrant for a second man in the slaying of Mark Grinoli of Chatsworth, a one-time state lottery winner who was found strangled and burned in a Van Nuys parking lot, police said.

Kelly Page, 34, was arrested in the 12400 block of Bessemer Street in Van Nuys, an area that the homeless man was known to frequent, police said. Page was being held without bail at Van Nuys Jail on suspicion of murder, Detective John Cameron said.

Also linked to the slaying was Pablo DeSantiago, 58, who has been in Los Angeles County Jail since his March 3 arrest on unrelated narcotics charges, police said. Detectives late Tuesday were seeking a murder warrant for DeSantiago, also a transient.

Page and DeSantiago are suspected of strangling Grinoli, 36, then setting his body on fire. Grinoli’s blanket-wrapped body was found behind the Dugout Bar, where investigators say it was dumped Feb. 22.

Grinoli reportedly had spent several days drinking heavily with companions on the street before he was killed.

Detectives declined to reveal a motive for the slaying, but Cameron said it was not related to gangs or drugs. Robbery was also ruled out. Grinoli, who worked as a motorcycle messenger, had won $20,000 in the state Lottery’s Big Spin in late 1988 but was known to have spent the money long ago, police have said.