Man, 21, Charged in Slayings

Prosecutors on Tuesday charged a 21-year-old Northridge man with capital murder in the slayings of his parents and his 16-year-old sister at the family’s home last week.

Authorities also revealed for the first time that Brandon Christopher Menard allegedly shot as well as stabbed his father.

Menard, who called 911 early Friday to report that he had found the bodies, appeared briefly in San Fernando Superior Court, but his arraignment was postponed until next week.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Beth Silverman said in court documents that Menard used a knife to kill the three victims, but also used a handgun to shoot and wound his father during the attack.

Menard was arrested after being questioned for several hours by investigators. He is charged with three counts of murder in the deaths of David Menard, 56, a real estate salesman; Toni Menard, 55, a nursing supervisor at UCLA’s Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital; and Ashley Menard, a Granada Hills Charter High School student. The parents were found inside the Stare Street home, and their daughter was discovered in the backyard.

Menard, a store clerk and student, could be eligible for the death penalty if convicted because of the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders. Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek capital punishment.