A couple was identified Monday as the victims of an apparent double homicide at a mansion in a posh Orange County neighborhood, and authorities are continuing to investigate the weekend slayings that so far have not produced any leads.
Bradford Sachs, 57, and Andra Sachs, 54, were found dead in their San Juan Capistrano home Sunday morning, and an unnamed 8-year-old boy believed to be the couple’s son was hospitalized in serious condition with undisclosed injuries, the Orange County Sheriff's Department said Monday.
All three victims suffered gunshot wounds, the Orange County Sheriff's Department confirmed Tuesday. Authorities also said Tuesday that two teen girls were inside the home at the time of the shooting, but did not provide details regarding their identities.
Sources told NBC4 that Bradford and Andra Sachs were shot at with one weapon and that the 8-year-old boy was not shot by accident, but was targeted. Investigators believe that the Sachs are divorced but were living together when they were killed.
Officers responded to a 911 call coming from inside the house in the 32000 block of Peppertree Bend about 2 a.m. on Sunday, said Lt. Jeff Hallock, with the OC Sheriff's Department.
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The Sachs were involved with several small businesses, including DSL startup Flashcom and electric car-conversion company Plug In Solutions.
Evidently, the couple also owned a glut of property, as there are a dozen or so angry tenants who have given them bad reviews on rip-off sites.
Carl Palmer, a tenant who runs a water filtration business inside a building owned by Andra Sachs, described her as an aggressive landlord.
“She was very negative, couldn’t care less what you thought,” Palmer said. “Wouldn’t do anything for you.”
NBC4’s I-Team uncovered other business problems, discovering at least half a dozen liens against Andra Sachs going back to 1993. At one point, according to the claim, she owed more than $1 million.
Personally, neighbors and friends described the household as “the best family.” The Sachs had five children, including two teenage daughters who lived with them and two sons in college.
“I didn’t sleep all night long, and I feel literally sick to my stomach this morning,” resident Cheryl Gale told NBC4. “This is just a gut-wrenching tragedy; nobody can make sense of it.”
Investigators have not been able to pin down any potential suspects or motives. Authorities have not released the extent of the 8-year-old boy’s injuries, and it has not yet been determined how the couple died.
“We’re not in a position to say they were targeted,” Hallock said Monday. “But we do need help at this point.”
Authorities on Sunday said the deaths were not a result of a home invasion or robbery, but may have been a homicide. Investigators also said the incident did not look like a murder-suicide.
The OC Sheriff’s Department’s tweeted Sunday that its team was “looking into all possibilities” and seeking the public’s help for any information.
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The San Juan Capistrano neighborhood where the couple was found dead is made up of multi-million dollar homes and has been featured on Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Orange County.”
Residents of the posh area on Sunday said they were surprised to hear of the deaths, as a lot of people move to San Juan Capistrano for privacy and safety.
One of the mystifying aspects of the case is how the killer got in and out of the home -- the more than 9,000-square-foot mansion is embedded in a hill near a cul-de-sac and has guard dogs.
"It just scares me that they can get past that and makes me want to up our security," neighbor Sophie Waring said on Sunday. "It's just sad that we're not even safe in our own homes."
One neighbor, living right next door, told NBC4 she was awake past 2 a.m. and heard nothing.
“For someone to do something like this to a family … there’s no excuse,” Gale said. “I pray that they catch these people, and there’s no punishment severe enough for what they’ve done.”
Anyone with information about the slayings is urged to call the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
