Former MLB pitcher arrested in connection to 2021 Lake Tahoe homicide
Suspects arrested in connection to 2021 North Lake Tahoe homicide.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Danny Serafini, a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the San Diego Padres, was one of two people arrested in connection to a Lake Tahoe homicide following a two-year investigation, the Placer County Sheriff's Department announced on social media.
Serafini, 49, and Samantha Scott, 33, were arrested in Nevada Friday morning for the murder of 70-year-old Robert Gary Spohr and the attempted murder of Wendy Wood, 68.
The district attorney's office and sheriff's department detectives collaborated on this lengthy investigation that led to Serafini being apprehended in Winnemucca, Nevada and Scott in Las Vegas.
2 Feb 2000: Dan Serafini #55 of the San Diego Padres poses for a studio portrait on Photo Day during Spring Training in Phoenix, Arizona. Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport
In a press release, the Placer County Sheriff's Department thanked the U.S. Marshal Service, Winnemucca Police Department, and Humboldt County, Nevada Sheriff's Department for the arrests.
Following a 911 call from a residence on June 5, 2021, sheriff's deputies found Spohr dead from a single gunshot wound in a home. Wood, his wife, was also shot but was taken to a hospital where she recovered from her injuries. The sheriff's department said she passed away a year later.
In the investigation's early stages, surveillance video, taken from the West Lake Boulevard home, showed a man in a hood and a face covering with a backpack walking to the residence several hours before the homicide.
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Since that surveillance video was obtained, investigators and detectives were able to identify the two suspects. Officials said both suspects are known to each other and to both of the victims.
"Today, justice was served. The apprehension of those responsible for the tragic events that unfolded in Homewood, North Lake Tahoe in 2021 stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication of our detectives, law enforcement partners, and the persistence of our pursuit of truth. Understand that my team’s commitment to unraveling the most complex of cases prevails, and those who inflict harm upon our community will be held accountable every time," said Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo.
Sheriff's officials said they are awaiting both suspects' extradition from Nevada into Placer County.
Serafini graduated from Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo and started his MLB career in 1992 when he was drafted to the Minnesota Twins.
This story was reported from Oakland, Calif.