Insane San Bruno murder suspect committed to hospital

Meanwhile, co-defendant Brandon David Thompson, 28, was sentenced yesterday to 18 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon. He waived all credit but 55 days against the term which makes the sentence more equivalent to 20 years. He must also pay $4,041.64 in victim compensation.

On the night Chastain died, he went to the home of Vargas’ parents who slept upstairs. Authorities initially said Vargas may have lured Chastain there because he believed the man had harmed his sister in some way but that motive has since been disproved. Vargas allegedly placed a plastic bag over Chastain’s head and hit him twice with a pipe wrench while Thompson stabbed him twice in the abdomen with a kitchen knife.

After attacking and killing him, the defendants dragged Chastain’s body down the driveway to Vargas’ Honda Accord but could not lift the man who weighed 275 pounds. Prosecutors say Thompson left the scene and Vargas contacted his father inside who followed the blood to Chastain’s body and called 911.

The two men’s criminal cases were split after Vargas’ defense attorney raised questions of his competency and sanity. Court-appointed doctors initially drew different conclusions but another doctor who evaluated him for the prosecution agreed he was insane, prompting the District Attorney’s Office to agree to the settlement.

If a jury had found Vargas sane, he would have had to serve 16 years before being eligible for parole.

Vargas had no prior criminal history in San Mateo County, according to court records. Thompson, though, was on parole for a 2009 stolen vehicle conviction which came with a two-year prison sentence.

michelle@smdailyjournal.com

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