News Releases

March 29, 2021: Altadena Man Charged With Killing Mom, Uncle

Contact: 
Ricardo Santiago, Public Information Officer
(213) 257-2000

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced today that a 32-year-old man has been charged with killing his mother and his uncle last Monday.

“This is a horrific case in which the mother’s work colleagues witnessed part of the attack while on a Zoom call and called the authorities,” District Attorney Gascón said. “Unfortunately by the time police arrived they discovered both victims.” 

Robert Anderson Cotton (dob 9/9/88) faces two counts of murder with an allegation of using a knife as a deadly and dangerous weapon. 

Arraignment was scheduled today but continued to April 5 in Department D of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Pasadena Branch. Case GA109673 was filed on March 24.

Cotton is charged with fatally stabbing Carol Brown, 67, and Kenneth Preston, 69, on March 22, at the house they all shared. 

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.