Dad charged with killing teenage son

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., March 24 (UPI) -- A Southern California man has been charged with killing his oldest son and torturing his wife and four other children.

Richard Roderiquez, 16, was found in the family's house in San Bernardino with fatal stab wounds Wednesday morning, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said. His father, Ian Anthony Roderiquez, 35, was arrested, The (Riverside) Press-Enterprise reported.

The charges include murder, attempted murder and torture, Jodi Miller, a sheriff's spokeswoman, said. She said the six counts of torture were based on the injuries suffered by the dead teenager and his mother, Sujal Roderiquez, 35, and siblings Jacob, 13, Gabriel, 12, Daniella, 10, and Yasmine, 8, but said details were not being released.

Sofia Symeou, who lives across the street from the family, said she heard the father screaming at about 7 a.m. Wednesday. But she said that behavior was not unusual.

Rodriquez was yelling that he was being held prisoner and that someone had taken the batteries from his cellphone, she said.