Two teens charged in Castro Valley death CASTRO VALLEY Investigator says scheme to steal cash, guns and jewelry evolved into 'case that fear and nightmares are made of'

Cody Nicosia Cody Nicosia Photo: -, Alameda County Sheriff Photo: -, Alameda County Sheriff Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Two teens charged in Castro Valley death 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Two teenagers were charged Friday with strangling Castro Valley resident Barbara Latiolais and later setting her home on fire in what police say began as a burglary plot to steal money, guns and jewelry.

Cody Nicosia, 18, and Christian Birdsall, 16, were arrested Thursday after Alameda County sheriff's detectives, following leads and tips, focused their investigation on Birdsall who knew the 58-year-old victim and had previously done yard work at her home on San Carlos Avenue.

"This is the kind of case that fear and nightmares are made of," said sheriff's Sgt. J.D. Nelson. "These two young men commit an absolutely despicable act to murder her and then to return hours later to set her body on fire.

"Their thought process is hard to answer, why two teenagers would do something like this is beyond the imagination," Nelson added, noting Latiolais was victimized in her own home by someone she knew and trusted.

Alameda County prosecutors charged both with murder and arson, plus the special circumstances of murder in the course of a burglary and robbery. The special circumstances allegation, if proved, means life in prison without the possibility of parole unless prosecutors opt to seek the death penalty against Nicosia.

According to sheriff's Sgt. David Dickson, the youths knew that Latiolais' boyfriend, retired San Francisco firefighter Michael Rice, would not be home on Oct. 17, the day of the slaying. The pair hid beneath a deck at the house for several hours waiting for Latiolais to leave, but she never did. That's when their burglary plan changed, detectives allege.

Sheriff's investigators outlined the following sequence of events:

Birdsall knocked on the door, and the victim let him in after he made up a story about wanting to do additional yard work that afternoon.

Birdsall then opened the back door for Nicosia, who hid in the house for less than an hour before choking Latiolais from behind, causing her to pass out.

The pair then collected guns, rare coins, jewelry and money but heard the unconscious victim making noises. Together, the youths used a rope to strangle her before fleeing.

Birdsall and Nicosia returned to the home that night, doused it with gasoline, lit a match and left in the victim's Volvo, which was found the next day about 2 miles away, Nelson said.

Neighbors reported the fire in the early morning hours of Oct. 18 and firefighters discovered the body while putting out the blaze.

Guns stolen from the home were later found hidden in a Hayward park, authorities said.

Nicosia graduated in June from Castro Valley High School, but was living with his father in Hayward. Birdsall attended the same school, but at some point transferred to Redwood Continuation High School in Castro Valley. He also was living in Hayward with Nicosia's father.

Sgt. Nelson said that when sheriff's detectives went to Nicosia's home, the father asked his son what had happened. Detectives quoted Nicosia as telling his father: "We killed someone." Nicosia works with his father remodeling homes, authorities said.

According to Sgt. Dickson, Rice had promised Birdsall to take him shooting, and so the youth realized there were guns in the home and devised the burglary plan.

Birdsall, who will be prosecuted as an adult, appeared in a Hayward courtroom on Friday, while Nicosia appeared by video from Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. Neither entered a plea and both will remain in custody with no bail set.

Relatives of the victim appeared at the brief hearing but declined comment.

Birdsall had expressed interest in joining the Marines, authorities said. His Myspace page includes pictures showcasing Marines.

Classmates at Castro Valley High, where both youths had played football, expressed shock Friday over the arrests.

"He's just a good guy," Taj Madsen, 16, said of Birdsall. "He goes to our church. Yeah, I'm surprised. I don't believe it."

Another acquaintance, Nick Lerschen, said of Nicosia: "He didn't seem like a dangerous kid at the time, but I hadn't seen him in a while."

Neither teen was considered popular, Lerschen said. "They hung out with older kids. They didn't hang around with jocks. I knew them and it's hard to imagine somebody I knew killing somebody, especially in that fashion."