Son calls 911 to report he shot and killed his 80-year-old dad, California sheriff says

A 38-year-old man called 911 to report that he shot and killed his 80-year-old father, California sheriff’s officials reported.

Deputies responding to the Santa Rosa home found Richard Molica dead on the living room floor from a gunshot wound at about 12:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Cody Molica told dispatchers his 72-year-old mother had been present during the shooting, sheriff’s officials said. Detectives arrested him on charges of murder and conspiracy.

His mother, Beverly Molica, was later found in Vallejo, where she was arrested on charges of conspiracy and being an accessory, deputies said.

Cody Molica also is accused of pushing his father down during an argument on Jan. 21, deputies said. He threatened to kill his parents and himself before his arrest on a charge of elder abuse.

He was released Jan. 22 on conditions including not contacting his father and not possessing firearms or ammunition, deputies said.

Friends remembered Richard Molica, who worked as a farrier crafting horseshoes, spurs and bits, as a generous man, The Press Democrat reported.

“You could be a stranger and you would be his friend,” Selina Galick told the publication.

“Everybody that knew him just said he was absolutely the nicest person that they’d ever met,” Kevan Brown said.

Santa Rosa is about a 55-mile drive north from San Francisco.

This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 8:08 AM with the headline "Son calls 911 to report he shot and killed his 80-year-old dad, California sheriff says."