A full-scale manhunt by law enforcement in the Santa Cruz Mountains on the morning of May 18 yielded the surrender of the prime suspect in the weekend killings of Suzanne Snyder, 35, of San Jose and Howard Beiderman, 36, of Los Gatos.
Larry Roman Lavell, 41, surrendered to Santa Clara County Sheriff's Deputies with no resistance shortly before 2 a.m. following a 12-hour mountain search, police officials said.
According to reports, Santa Clara County Sheriff's Deputies Manny Contreras and Andy Gonzales were stationed on Summit Road near Highway 17 shortly before 2 a.m. Tuesday when they heard noises coming from nearby bushes. Lavell reportedly stepped out of the bushes and toward the deputies with his arms raised, telling them, "It's me, Lavell. I give up."
"One of the things we gauge the success of the operation by was that no one got hurt," said Sgt. Luther Pugh of Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department. "It worked well having several agencies assist in the search. Their commitment of personnel gave us the added luxury of allowing our units to work all night and added to the capture."
Deputies said Lavell was wearing the same shorts and T-shirt he had been reported wearing late Sunday. They also earlier in the day had recovered a backpack with clothing, a scanner and identification in Lavell's name.
"When the deputies asked where he had been, his response was just disjointed rambling," Pugh said. "He said he'd been running all over. He didn't really know."
Officials transported the suspect to Los Gatos Police Department headquarters where he was turned over to investigators. Officers booked Lavell into Santa Clara County jail on two counts of murder, pending formal charges by a judge, police said. Lavell made no statement to police upon his capture, and investigation into the case continued Tuesday, police said. Lavell was scheduled to be arraigned May 19.
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