$2 Million Bail for Blood-Covered Man Who Told Babysitter He “Slayed the Beast”

A man accused of stabbing a man to death and later telling the babysitter of that man's kids he "slayed the beast" was held on $2 million bail in court Wednesday. 

David Anthony Strouth, 34, is accused of fatally stabbing his friend, 49-year-old Bradley Thomas Garner, in Oceanside. 

Strouth pleaded not guilty to a murder charge and a special knife use charge at his arraignment. He faces a maximum of 26 years to life in state prison. 

Deputy District Attorney Patrick Espinoza, outlining the basics of the incident, said Strouth and Garner walked into Garner's house Friday night and greeted the babysitter. The next time the babysitter saw Strouth, she noticed blood stains on his shirt. 

"He made a statement, 'I slayed the beast,'" said Espinoza. 

It was then the babysitter decided to leave when, on her way out, she looked back inside the garage and saw Strouth lying over a man's body on the floor of the garage, the prosecutor said. An examination later revealed he had stab wounds to his chest and the back of his neck. 

When Strouth saw the babysitter peering into the garage, he chased her to her car, where he tried to accost her, Espinoza said. She successfully got away and flagged down neighbors, who returned to the house to subdue him out of concern for the kids, who were still inside. 

Oceanside police said the neighbors grabbed a knife and a handgun and went to the home to get the children to safety.

When the neighbors found him, Strouth was inflicting wounds to his neck and wrist. 

Law enforcement later arrived. It took five Oceanside Police officers to subdue Strouth, who was found inside an open garage on Santa Rosa Street at approximately 9:30 p.m.

Strouth was airlifted to a Scripps Hospital La Jolla with non-life threatening injuries. He was later booked on homicide charges.

"When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they took Mr. Strouth into custody and he was making statements like, 'kill me' and 'put me out of my misery,'" Espinoza said. 

Strouth was airlifted to a Scripps Hospital La Jolla with non-life threatening injuries. He was later booked on homicide charges.

The babysitter and the children, ages two and four years, were not injured.

The investigation is ongoing. 

Officials are investigating a murder in Oceanside where a babysitter found a man stabbed to death. NBC 7’s Diana Guevara reports.
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