A babysitter hired to watch two children at an Oceanside home Friday night was met by a man covered in blood who said he had just “slayed the beast,” police said.

It took five Oceanside Police officers to subdue David Anthony Strouth, 34, who was found inside an open garage on Santa Rosa Street at approximately 9:30 p.m.

The babysitter had just arrived to the home when she saw Strouth standing near another man lying on the floor of the garage, police said.

The man on the floor was identified as 49-year-old Bradley Thomas Garner. Garner suffered numerous stab wounds to his neck and chest, officials said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The woman told officers that when Strouth saw her, he got up and walked toward her. She ran to her car and called neighbors for help.

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

They found Strouth in the garage stabbing himself in the arms and neck, according to officials.

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.



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