HUNTINGTON BEACH – An 80-year-old man was beaten to death in front of his home in September by a 27-year-old man who days later was shot and killed by a policeman in a confrontation at a 7-Eleven across the street from Marina High School , authorities said on Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Huntington Beach Police Chief Robert Handy told reporters in a press conference at City Hall that Dillan Tabares beat Richard Darland to death just three days before getting into the altercation with a Huntington Beach police officer. Much of that last incident, caught on video, was seen across social and traditional media.

At the time of that Sept. 22 shooting, investigators had yet to tie the cases together.

Huntington Beach resident and homicide victim Richard Darland, 80, was found outside his Huntington Beach home severely beaten to death in September. (Photo courtesy of Huntington Beach Police)

Dillan Tabares, 27, is found through Rapid DNA Analysis to have murdered 80-year old Richard Darland. (Photo courtesy of Huntington Beach Police)

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Huntington Beach Police chief Rob Handy points at the suspects timeline as he reveals Monday, October 30, 2017 during a press conference in Huntington Beach. (Photo by Ken Steinhardt, Orange County Register/SCNG)

OCDA Tony Rackauckas explains how Rapid DNA Analysis connected two incidents to one suspect in a Huntington Beach murder case during a press conference in Huntington Beach, CA on Monday, October 30, 2017. (Photo by Ken Steinhardt, Orange County Register/SCNG)

With this picture displayed on a big screen during a press conference in Huntington Beach, CA on Monday, OC District Attorney Tony Rackauckas explains how Rapid DNA Analysis connected Dillan Tabares, 27, to the murder of 80-year old Richard Darland. (Photo courtesy of Huntington Beach Police)



A bloody foot print at the scene of the crime was found to be belonging to Dillan Tabares, 27, who was shot and killed by police in a confrontation that was caught on video. (Photo courtesy of Huntington Beach Police)

A picture of video surveillance footage shows suspect Dillan Tabares, 27, southbound on Beach Blvd, north of Ellis Ave. at 4:57 PM on Tuesday Sept 19, 2017. (Photo courtesy of Huntington Beach Police)

Another picture of video surveillance footage shows suspect Dillan Tabares, 27, walking westbound on the north sidewalk of Ellis Ave. at 5:03 PM on Tuesday Sept 19, 2017, just east of the victim’s home. (Photo courtesy of Huntington Beach Police)

Another picture of video surveillance footage shows suspect Dillan Tabares, 27, walking near Beach Blvd. south of Ellis Ave. at 6 PM on Tuesday Sept 19, 2017, possibly in a new change of clothing. (Photo courtesy of Huntington Beach Police)

A map shows 27-year old suspect Dillan Tabares’ timeline on the day of the murder, Tuesday Sept 19, 2017. (Photo courtesy of Huntington Beach Police)



Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, left, and Huntington Beach Police chief Rob Handy reveal during a press conference Monday, October 30, 2017 in Huntington Beach that the brutal beating death of 80-year old Richard Darland in front of his Huntington Beach home in September was committed by Dillan Tabares, 27, who was shot and killed by police in a confrontation that was caught on video. (Photo by Ken Steinhardt, Orange County Register/SCNG)

On Sept. 19, police officers found Darland with a bloodied face and head in the 7800 block of Ellis Avenue. His wife was inside when her husband was attacked.

Darland had a broken back, broken neck, multiple skull fractures that punctured his brain, broken bones in his face, most of his ribs broken, cuts, injuries to both eyes and to internal organs. He was taken to a hospital and quickly died.

Investigators combed through hundreds of leads, examining surveillance video from dozens of homes and businesses and identifying 13 people of interest. But they ruled them all out except one name investigators came across in the victim’s cell phone, and that name was familiar.

“(The investigator) was analyzing over 1,000 contacts in the victim’s phone when he ran across the name Dillan Tabares,” Handy said.

Police learned that blood found on the suspect’s pants, when he was shot by the officer, belonged to Darland, the chief said. A shoe print at the home also matched Tabares’ shoes, and police found surveillance footage that showed Tabares near Darland’s home before and after the attack, Handy said.

Police said they believe Tabares used his hands and feet to kill the 80-year-old man.

The two men had met in 2013, the chief said, and Darland, a retired engineer and U.S. Army veteran, was trying to help Tabares, who had also served in the military.

“Darland began helping Tabares, who was homeless,” Handy said. “Darland provided food, transportation and allowed Tabares to sleep on the side of his home.”

He also tried to get Tabares reconnected with his family, even driving him to his brother’s home. Handy said Darland also attempted to get him into a drug rehab facility and, being a man of faith, Darland also wanted to introduce the younger man to Christianity.

This past weekend, a funeral was held for Darland, who is survived by his wife and two daughters.

On the day of Sept. 22, an officer came across Tabares at the 7-Eleven; police haven’t said why the cop was there. On one of two videos of the incident, apparently caught on cell phones, the officer is backing away and seems to ask Tabares to, “Have a seat.”

Instead, Tabares moves toward the officer and punches him twice. The officer gets the suspect in a headlock, and they fall to the ground and struggle.

At some point, police have said, the officer used a Taser on Tabares to no avail. In the tussle, Tabares grabs something from the officer’s utility belt. The officer gets free and shot Tabares seven times.

The incident remains under investigation.

WARNING: The video below contains graphic content

Tabares had struggled with drugs after a failed U.S. Navy career and spent much of his recent time as a transient in Huntington Beach, his family has said.

“He had been arrested by the Huntington Beach Police Department 12 times since 2014,” Handy said.

Those arrests were for such offenses as alcohol and drug violations, possession of a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, battery causing injury, disturbing the peace and trespassing.

The last time Tabares was arrested, he was taken into custody for a felony warrant from a prior battery case. He served about six months of a two-year sentence, Handy said.

Just five days before Darland’s beating, Tabares was released from jail.

Both District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, who also attended the press conference, and Chief Handy expressed frustration with policies they say release offenders too soon from jail, when the man or woman still may be dangerous.

“I think it illustrates the difficulty that our officers deal with every single day, “ Handy said. “Within days, he violates parole, commits a homicide and then gets involved in an attack on one of our officers.”

Handy said he believes the young man was resistant to police because he knew he had violated probation, committed a homicide and would return to jail.

It remains unclear, the chief said, as to why the homeless man beat to death the senior citizen who was trying to help him: “We don’t have a motive, because both of the individuals who were there are both deceased.”