Camarillo man already behind bars is arrested for murder of elderly LA man

A Camarillo man already behind bars facing a murder charge, has been linked to another murder and robbery of a 72-year-old Los Angeles man, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.

Rotherie Foster, 38, was arrested in Ventura County jail Monday for the murder of 72-year-old Bill Levy. He is currently charged with the murder of Jose Velasquez, a 35-year-old Camarillo resident who was reported missing in July 2022.

Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said Wednesday that Foster allegedly murdered Velasquez and Levy for financial gain.

Velasquez's remains were found by hikers in the Santa Monica Mountains on Oct. 3, 2022. His death was ruled a homicide. 

"Specifically with respect to the Velasquez case, we anticipate the evidence will show the defendant violently and forcibly took ATM passwords and checks from Velasquez," Nasarenko said.

In the course of preparing the Velasquez case for trial, a trail of Foster's bank activity alerted investigators to discover the alleged murder of Levy.

"After subpoenaing bank records from the defendants bank … a number of suspicious, troubling and alarming transactions (were found)," Nasarenko said

Foster worked for a large plumbing company and investigators learned that he had been dispatched to Levy's Granada Hills townhouse several times for plumbing related work.

The DA's investigative team noticed several online transactions from Levy into Foster's bank account, including a check for several thousand dollars. The suspicious bank activity began the day after Levy was found dead in his home on Jan. 10, 2022.

While Levy's death was initially found to be from natural causes, investigators had his body exhumed and his death was reclassified as a homicide, from the effects of fentanyl.

Ventura County Sheriff's detectives further linked Foster to Levy through cell phone records. On May 20, 2024, Velasquez was arrested for Levy's murder.

In light of the investigation the DA's office tacked on a number of criminal charges to the existing complaint, "specifically as it stands today, 33 felony charges and over 100 special allegations," Nasarenko said.

Foster is also linked to a 2021 bank fraud case involving another victim who had received plumber services from Foster, and he is connected to a 2022 robbery of a Fillmore convenience store.