Man charged in Pleasanton double killings of ex-girlfriend's mom, brother

Friends mourn loss of mother and son killed in Pleasanton

Residents and acquaintances react after a mother and son are shot and killed in Pleasanton. The suspect, who had the brother's sister, has been arrested. 

PLEASANTON, Calif. - A man charged in the killings of his ex-girlfriend’s mother and brother in Pleasanton faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.

Allen Swadley, who turned 32 while in jail, has been charged by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office with two counts of murder with special circumstances in the Feb. 18 killings of Lori Simonds, 67, and her son, Evan Simonds, 28.

Swadley remains in custody without bail.

Shooting details

What we know:

The killings occurred around 10 a.m. at the Simonds home on Joanne Circle near Ken Mercer Sports Park.

A pool cleaner working in the backyard told police he heard four gunshots, followed by a woman screaming and then two more shots, according to authorities.

Officers responding to reports of a shooting found the mother and son dead from multiple gunshot wounds.

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Arrest in Pleasanton mother, son killings: What we know

Police have arrested a man in connection with the killings of a woman and her son, who were found dead inside a Pleasanton home this week.

Swadley was arrested the following day in San Jose. Authorities said he had previously dated the younger victim’s 26-year-old sister.

Swadley, who has worked as an athletic trainer, had no prior criminal history, authorities said.

Community rocked

What they're saying:

The community that the Simmonds lived in was devastated after learning of their tragic deaths.

"He’s ruined his entire life, and he took two lives of innocent people," said Donna Hawkinson of Pleasanton.

The victims’ daughter and sister had already lost her father decades ago in a boating accident.

"So she’s completely by herself," Hawkinson said.

Evan Simonds was an independent professional wrestler known as Lars Luger.

"It’s frickin’ horrible. I’ve never experienced anything this traumatic," said Dustin Mehl, who, along with his twin brother Derek Mehl, knew Simonds through Stoner U, the pro wrestling school they run in Oakland.

"Dude had so much potential," Mehl said. "He was going to be great. Every time he showed up, he always had a smile on his face. He was so positive," Mehl said.