OCEANSIDE — On July 11 U.S. Marshals arrested suspect William Sutton for the murder of 94-year-old Margaret Wood. The arrest was made after Wood died on July 9, from earlier injuries sustained in an attack by Sutton.
In a press release Ryan Keim, Oceanside Police public information officer, called the event a tragedy and thanked the public for providing information in the case.
“This tragic incident displays the importance of the community working hand in hand with local law enforcement to shine a light on the often under-reported crime of elder abuse,” Keim said.
Oceanside Police initially responded to an assault on April 16, in which Wood was found with serious head injuries and transported to the hospital.
It was found that Wood had been visiting a friend and neighbor on Topaz Lane. That is where she was allegedly assaulted by 66-year-old Sutton, who worked as a live-in caregiver for the friend.
The assault was captured on a neighboring resident’s video surveillance. Security video showed Sutton threw Wood out of a kitchen door and onto a concrete patio. The incident caused Wood serious blunt force injuries.Sutton fled the scene and was arrested on April 17 for attempted murder and felony elder abuse. Since his initial arrest Sutton appeared in court, and was released on bond pending a future court date.
Wood needed hospice care due to the severity of her injuries. Her condition continued to deteriorate and she died from complications.
As a result of her death an arrest warrant for Sutton for murder was issued. U.S. Marshals arrested Sutton in Vista, and he was booked into the Vista Detention Facility.
