SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — There were two children among the four people who were found dead in a San Francisco home earlier this week. The decedents, who were found deceased at a residence on the 900 block of Monterey Boulevard Wednesday, have been identified as:
- Thomas Russell Ocheltree, 57
- Paula Truong, 53
- Alexandra Ocheltree, 12
- MacKenzie Ocheltree, 9
All four were residents of San Francisco, according to the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. OCME said it initiated a medicolegal death investigation into the deaths and that the bodies were transferred to the OCME for examination and postmortem toxicology analysis.
Officials said the causes and manners of death are still pending at this time. However, a relative of one of the deceased told KRON4 that Thomas Russell Ocheltree and his two young daughters were victims.
“My brother and his two precious daughters were victims of a horrific crime,” Bob Ocheltree told KRON4 on Friday. “Our family is shocked and devastated as you can imagine.”
The family member did not describe the woman, Truong, as being a victim in the incident.
A person close to the family who knows Truong and their financial situation tells KRON4 the family owned several Bay Area businesses, including a luxury auto repair shop in West Oakland called Zentrum. The source described it as a successful business with longtime employees, adding that Paula was especially proud of a newer venture — a string of Vietnamese coffee shops called Orbit Coffee Company, which is now listed as temporarily closed.
According to the source, Paula also once owned two corner stores in San Francisco, including Starr Spirits near the family’s home, which now appears locked up and vacant.
The person says the family began facing financial hardships in recent years. Public records show they took out a $2.2 million loan against their home in 2022 and went into foreclosure last year.
The San Francisco Fire Department responded to the home in the city’s Westwood Park neighborhood at around 1:25 p.m. Wednesday. The San Francisco Police Department, which has turned the investigation into the deaths over to its homicide unit, is calling the death’s “suspicious.”
Law enforcement said the deaths were an isolated incident and that there is no threat to the public.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
