City Offers $75,000 Reward for Info on Double Murder in Chatsworth

Los Angeles Councilman Mitch Englander announced Friday a $75,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in connection with the slayings of a man and woman found dead in a trash bin at a Lassen Street home in Chatsworth last week.

Englander, who represents Council District 12 which includes Chatsworth, called the killings a "heinous, vicious crime.''

Authorities are searching for Brent D. Zubek, 43, of the San Fernando
Valley, who has been identified as a suspect in the killings.

"We hope that this $75,000 reward will basically produce additional
leads and clues and information to anybody else who was at the scene or perpetrated these crimes and also leading to the recovery of additional evidence,'' said Los Angeles police Capt. Kris Pitcher, the Devonshire Division's new commanding officer.

Authorities have not released the identities of the victims or how they
were killed.

The victims' decomposing bodies were found Saturday morning in the 20400 block of Lassen Street by homicide detectives.

Police believe the crime occurred about five to six weeks ago, according to LAPD Cmdr. Jim Cansler. Police received informatio "during the first week of August'' about a potential homicide in Chatsworth and discovered the victims after serving a search warrant at the location, according to Pitcher.

Detectives are continuing their investigation "in several different directions'' and working with numerous entities to gather additional
information and potential evidence, the police captain said.

Around noon Sunday, undercover officers who had been watching a Ford F-150 pickup truck linked to Zubek spotted the vehicle, but the suspect apparently became aware that he was being tailed and eluded the officers, according to police. The truck was later found in a parking lot on Van Nuys Boulevard.

Zubek's sister, Lisa Zubek, and his mother, Carole Zubek, both appeared in television interviews Sunday and asked the fugitive to surrender himself.

Anyone with information is asked to call Devonshire Division detectives
at 818-832-0609 or 877-LAPD-24-7. Anonymous tips can be made through Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

City News Service contributed to this report.