Calif. man who admitted to strangling, dismembering mother found not guilty by reason of insanity
08/18/2026 8:00 am PDT
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (TCN) -- A 29-year-old man who admitted to killing and dismembering his mother in 2022 has been found not guilty by reason of insanity.
According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to an apartment complex where they found the dismembered remains of 62-year-old Tomoko Hoetzlein in a dumpster. A man searching for recyclables in the dumpster had found the body. The victim’s son, David Hoetzlein, was arrested on suspicion of murder after a search warrant was executed, connecting him to the crime.
KTLA reports David Hoetzlein has a long history of severe mental illness, according to prosecutors. Shortly before killing his mother, Hoetzlein was released from a psychiatric hospital. Tomoko Hoetzlein tried to get him readmitted by contacting the hospital, his caseworker, and law enforcement, but he was not sent back.
In July 2023, David Hoetzlein’s sister filed a lawsuit against the psychiatric hospital. KTLA reports the suit alleged her brother was released after receiving an incorrect diagnosis and the wrong medication, and this led to the killing of Tomoko Hoetzlein. In addition, the suit alleges Tomoko Hoetzlein requested that law enforcement put her son on a mental health hold after he allegedly stole her car and assaulted her, but deputies found he did not meet the requirements.
David Hoetzlein was found incompetent to stand trial in 2024, KTLA reports. In January, he admitted to killing his mother but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to second-degree murder. On Aug. 13, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office found Hoetzlein not guilty by reason of insanity.
A statement from the DA’s office read, “Because of a severe mental disorder that prevented him from having the mental capacity required to be held criminally responsible at the time of the killing, Hoetzlein was found not guilty by reason of insanity,” KTLA reports.
It went on, “Two independent doctors evaluated Hoetzlein and each concluded he met the legal criteria for a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors did not object to those opinions based on Hoetzlein’s documented mental health history, the doctors’ reports, and input from Hoetzlein’s family.”
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