The police in Burbank, California, have charged Kyle Lombardo with the alleged murder of his mother, Karyn Lombardo, a beloved schoolteacher in the area for over 30 years.
Karyn’s husband and Kyle’s father, Vince Lombardo, has claimed his son has mental illness and didn’t mean to kill his 57-year-old mom. The Burbank PD is holding the 25-year-old Kyle on bond of $2 million. He had his first court appearance yesterday.
The Burbank PD wrote in a statement that on Tuesday evening, officers attended a home on N. Avon St, where they found an unconscious Karyn.
She was given emergency medical care but was pronounced dead at the scene.
The cops arrested Kyle, who was living at the house with his parents. It is unclear if there was anyone else in the house at the time of the shooting.
Detectives believe there was some kind of altercation between mother and son but have not released any details.
Shooting of Burbank teacher Karyn Lombardo is a ‘loss to the world’
Vince Lombardo, who was not home at the time, has since spoken out about what may have happened. Vince told reporters that his wife’s death is devastating and is “a loss to the world.”
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelVince added, “My son called me and kind of just briefly told me what happened. There was some type of altercation that, her head was hit.”
The devastated father said of Kyle, “He’s mentally challenged. He didn’t want to kill her.”
Father of Burbank shooter Kyle Lombardo described him as ‘volatile’
Vince claimed his son has a big, kind heart, but he struggles with Asperger’s syndrome – a form of autism that leads to difficulty with social interaction – as well as attention-deficit disorder, or ADD. He also said Kyle had increasingly become “volatile.”
Vince said Kyle has been taking medication, but it’s been ineffective. He also claimed his son has struggled to get the help he needs with appointments taking months to be scheduled.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has said that Kyle is facing life in prison if he is convicted.
Karyn and Vince Lombardo were married for 31 years, and Karyn was involved with the Burbank Unified School District for 30 years. She taught a variety of different subjects and ages, but most recently, she was a kindergarten teacher at Bret Harte Elementary School.
Colleagues described her as “the heart and soul of Bret Harte” and “an outstanding teacher.”
The Burbank PD has stressed this is an active investigation, and anyone with any information should contact detectives at (818) 238-3210.