Details of Arrest in California of Joshua Brocato, Suspect in the Murders of His Parents in Amite

LOS ANGELES, CA (April 6, 2025)- The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office has taken 34-year-old Joshua Brocato. a Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office (TPSO) suspect into custody in connection with the murder of an Amite-area couple, Joshua Brocato's parents.

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On Friday (April 4, 2025) Brocato was arrested when Marina Del Rey station deputies spotted the van TPSO identified as a suspect vehicle parked on Fairfax Avenue. At the time of the arrest, Brocato was wearing green military-style attire and had three guns in the van, including an assault rifle, along with body armor.

The arrest stems from a welfare check request to TPSO around 1 p.m. Thursday (April 3, 2025). When deputies arrived to the home on Eastwood Drive in the Amite area, they found 66-year-old Priscilla Brocato dead inside of the home. Her husband, 75-year-old Marc Brocato was later found dead on the couple’s property.

Their son, Joshua Brocato was unaccounted for and initially sought as a person of interest. Following an autopsy of the couple, an arrest warrant for two counts of 1st Degree Murder was issued for Joshua Brocato. The reason for this crime is still unknown.

After tracking back the movements of the Brocatos’ van, TPSO alerted several agencies in the southern California area about it, and Joshua, likely being there. Within a few hours, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office Marina del Rey station had him in custody.

In addition to the warrant from TPSO, Brocato faces charges in California for Possession of a Loaded Unregistered Firearm, Possession of an Assault Weapon, and Alter or Remove a Serial Number on a Firearm.

Brocato is being held without bail pending an April 8th court appearance at the LAX Municipal Courthouse.

Sheriff Gerald Sticker would like to thank the public for their outpouring of information in this case and for the assistance of all of our law enforcement partners across Louisiana and the U.S.

***All persons are innocent until proven guilty***

Joshua Brocato, Suspect in Murder of Parents, Returned to Tangipahoa Parish

Joshua Brocato, age 34, was transported back to Tangipahoa Parish on Thursday (April 17, 2025) and arrived overnight. Joshua Brocato is the suspect in the double murder of his parents, Marc and Priscilla (Diane) on April 3, 2025.  Joshua Brocato had been arrested in California on April 4, 2025, a day after the couple was found shot to death at their Amite-area home.  

Joshua Brocato has been booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail on the charges of 2 counts of 1st Degree Murder, Manufacturing/Cultivating Marijuana, Manufacture/Distribute/Possession of Hallucinogenic Plants, and Possession of Weapons while in Possession of CDS

Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office reports that Brocato has been interviewed by detectives and is cooperating with the investigation. 

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Update on Amite-Area Homicide: Man and Wife Deceased/Son Being Sought

Update - 10:16 PM - April 4, 2025:  Joshua Brocato has been taken into custody in Los Angeles County, California.

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On Thursday (April 3, 2025) at around 1:00 PM, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office conducted a welfare check on a home on Eastwood Drive in the Amite area. When deputies arrived, they found a woman dead inside of the home. She was identified as 66 year-old Priscilla Brocato. Later, the body of 75 year-old Marc Brocato, Priscilla’s husband, was located on the home’s property.

TPSO has issued an arrest warrant for 2 counts of 1st Degree Murder for 34 year-old Joshua Brocato in the murders of his parents, Priscilla and Marc Brocato. 

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Detectives believe Joshua Brocato is traveling in a white 2014 Ford utility van (License Plate: 205 DOM) with a last known location in Lafayette earlier this week. 

Sheriff Gerald Sticker encourages anyone with information about either of these individuals’ whereabouts to contact Criminal Investigations at 985-902-2088 or Louisiana State Police Suspicious Activity Hotline at 1-800-434-8007. 

If you’d prefer to share information anonymously, you can do so through Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa’s tip line at 1-800-554-5245 or visit www.tangicrimestoppers.com and click on the P3 Tips icon or Submit A Tip! You may be eligible for a cash reward.

Potential Victim, Person of Interest Sought in Amite-area Homicide

The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office (TPSO) is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a potential  victim as well as a person of interest in an active homicide investigation.

Around 1 p.m. today (April 3, 2025), TPSO was requested to conduct a welfare check on a home on Eastwood Drive in the Amite area. When deputies arrived, they found a woman dead inside of the home.

Two male residents of the home are unaccounted for and are being sought: 1) Marc Brocato, age 75, is 6 feet tall and weighs around 200 pounds with gray hair and brown eyes. He is believed to be a potential victim and possibly in danger; 2) Joshua Brocato, age 34, is 5’9” weighing around 200 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He is a person of interest in this crime. Detectives believe 
Joshua Brocato is traveling in a white 2014 Ford utility van with a last known location in Lafayette earlier this week.

Sheriff Gerald Sticker encourages anyone with information about either of these individuals’ whereabouts to contact Criminal Investigations at 985-902-2088 or Louisiana State Police Suspicious Activity Hotline at 1-800-434-8007.

If you’d prefer to share information anonymously, you can do so through Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa’s tip line at 1-800-554-5245 or visit www.tangicrimestoppers.com and click on the P3 Tips icon or Submit A Tip! You may be eligible for a cash reward.