3 Valley Men Held in Santa Monica Slaying

SANTA MONICA — Three Panorama City men were arrested in connection with the fatal beating of a 38-year-old Santa Monica hospital executive Monday after a call made on the victim’s cellular phone led officers to the suspects, Santa Monica police said Wednesday.

The arrests came four days after Edward Patrick Broderick was found bound, robbed and beaten to death in the kitchen of his Santa Monica apartment, Police Sgt. Gary Gallinot said.

Police said a call allegedly made by one of the men on Broderick’s cellular phone after the slaying led police to an apartment in the 14000 block of Nordhoff Street in Panorama City. They arrested Lloyd Fred Smith, 24, and Norman Tooks Jr., 28, on suspicion of murder after they found numerous personal belongings of Broderick’s in the apartment, Gallinot said.

In addition, the two men left fingerprints and “other evidence” at Broderick’s apartment, he said.

A third man, Mark Anthony Henderson, 30, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, he said.

Gallinot said police surrounded the apartment about noon and used a hostage negotiating team to talk the men into surrendering about an hour later.

Police said the men apparently selected Broderick’s home at random and ransacked the house, taking cash, a cellular phone and credit cards.

Gallinot said they bound Broderick and beat him, possibly in an attempt to find other property.

The men will be arraigned Nov. 9 in Santa Monica Superior Court. No bail was set.

“All three men have extensive criminal records,” Gallinot said, with Smith on parole for a weapons violation and Tooks on parole for burglary.