Four years after the dismembered the body of Tomoko Hoetzlein was discovered in a dumpster outside her Camarillo apartment, her son has been found not guilty by reason of insanity for her murder, according to Ventura County Superior Court records.
David Hoetzlein was ordered indefinitely to a maximum-security state mental hospital during an Aug. 13 early disposition conference, an opportunity for the prosecution and defense to resolve the case before a preliminary hearing and trial, according to records.
The conclusion to the criminal case came after two court-appointed psychologists determined that Hoetzlein, now 29, was so mentally disturbed at the time of the killing that he was incapable of intending to commit a crime and therefore should
not be held criminally responsible, according to records.
Records indicate that both the prosecution and the defense agreed with the psychologists' findings, though Chief Deputy District Attorney Erin Meister could have requested that the case go to a trial if she did not agree.
"Tomoko Hoetzlein was a devoted mother who did everything in her power to get her son the mental health treatment he desperately needed,” Meister wrote in a DA's office news release. “Tragically, she lost her life while trying to help him.”
Hoetzlein was arrested June 3, 2022, the same day the remains of his 62-year-old mother were discovered in the dumpster outside of the Townsite Promenade apartment they shared, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
In July 2023, Hoetzlein’s sister, Mao Cardenas, filed a federal lawsuit against Vista del Mar psychiatric hospital, the County of Ventura and other defendants, alleging wrongful death, civil rights violations and neglect.
Cardenas alleged that despite the family and primary psychiatrist’s objections, the Ventura facility released her brother May 31, 2022, with an incorrect diagnosis and prescription, putting her mother’s life at risk. The next day, her mother asked the sheriff’s office to place him on a mental health hold after he allegedly stole her car and battered her, but deputies determined he did not meet the requirements, according to the complaint.
Vista del Mar and the county have denied legal responsibility.
In May 2024, after Hoetzlein had been found incompetent to stand trial multiple times due to his mental health issues, a judge determined he was capable of understanding court proceedings and assisting in his own defense.
On Jan. 22, after multiple delays, he admitted to the killing and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to one count of second-degree murder.
Hoetzlein, who remains in custody at Todd Road Jail without bail, will return to court Aug. 27, when mental health services provider MHM Services of California will recommend a facility he should receive treatment at.
Once placed in the mental health facility, he faces a maximum term of life in confinement, according to the DA's office. Medical experts will regularly evaluate him and release him only if they determine he is not a danger to himself or others.
Makena Huey is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at makena.huey@vcstar.com. This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation's Fund to Support Local Journalism.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Son accused of Camarillo mother's murder found not guilty by insanity
