A 71-year-old man was found dead with stab wounds inside his Delaware Avenue home Monday night, and his son has been taken into custody on suspicion of homicide, police said.
Santa Monica Police Department officers responded to a residence in the 1700 block of Delaware Avenue at approximately 9:20 p.m. Monday after receiving a 911 call reporting an assault in progress.
Officers arrived and were directed inside the home by the reporting party, where they found Jubilant Sykes suffering from critical injuries consistent with a stabbing, according to police. Santa Monica Fire Department personnel pronounced Sykes dead at the scene.
His son, Micah Sykes, 31, was found inside the residence and taken into custody without incident, police said. He will be booked on suspicion of homicide.
Detectives from the department's Criminal Investigations Division secured the scene and obtained a search warrant. Forensic specialists are processing physical evidence, including a weapon recovered at the scene, police said.
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation. Homicide investigators remained at the scene Tuesday morning documenting evidence. Crime scene tape was placed on the street outside the home and inside the residence.
Police said the incident appears to be isolated and occurred within a private residence, with no ongoing threat to the community. Officers have maintained a presence in the area throughout the investigation.
Sykes was a Grammy nominated singer who grew up in Los Angeles, where he sang soprano as a child. He has performed with guitarist Christopher Parkening and appeared at venues including the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, London's Barbican Centre, the Apollo Theater, Hollywood Bowl and New Orleans Jazz Festival.
The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for filing consideration.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Peter Zamfirov at (310) 458-8451 or peter.zamfirov@santamonica.gov, or the Watch Commander at (310) 458-8427.