Police probe string of O.C. deaths

The investigation into who fatally stabbed three homeless men in Orange County in recent weeks took on new urgency Tuesday as several law enforcement agencies, working together, moved to warn the transient community of the danger.

Authorities said there are similarities that indicate the cases may be linked. But Sgt. Bob Dunn of the Anaheim Police Department cautioned that the investigation was ongoing.

“We have not ruled out the possibility of multiple suspects,” he said Tuesday. Beyond the victims’ being middle-aged and homeless, he declined to comment on what the men and their cases might have in common.

Police from Anaheim, Placentia and Brea have formed a joint investigation and stepped up patrols in areas the homeless are known to frequent. On Tuesday, officers were handing out fliers recommending that extra precautions be taken, such as staying in groups, avoiding dark, secluded areas and being mindful of surroundings.

So far, the primary lead is footage from a security camera captured at the time of the first attack, on Dec. 21, showing a man whom police described as dressed in black and “lying in wait.” Police said he appears to be about 18 to 25 years old, with a thin build and of average height.

The victim, identified as James Patrick McGillivray, 53, was found stabbed near a shopping center in Placentia.

Those who knew McGillivray described him as a quiet man who kept to himself. Chirag Italia, who works at a convenience store in the shopping center, said McGillivray would come in to buy malt liquor once or twice a day and never caused much trouble.

Italia described the community as “stunned, a little shocked” in the wake of the killing.

On Dec. 28, another man, identified as Lloyd Middaugh, 42, was found by Anaheim police fatally stabbed on a riverbed trail near Tustin Avenue.

And on Dec. 30, the third man, Paulus Smit, 57, was found dead with stab wounds outside a library in Yorba Linda. (The Brea Police Department handles law enforcement in Yorba Linda.) In the days after the incident, a small shrine appeared, with flowers, candles and a photo of Smit. “Rest in Peace, Dutch” was inscribed on the picture frame.

Dunn implored the public to call in with any assistance as investigators search for answers. “It could be very minor to you,” he said, “but it might be major to us.”

Steve Hans, a 58-year-old homeless man who migrates around Santa Ana, said he takes care to be around friends when he sleeps but isn’t worried about his safety.

“If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen,” he said while passing time near the Santa Ana Civic Center.

Some advocates for the homeless in Orange County said attacks of this nature weren’t surprising. But Jim Palmer, president of the Orange County Rescue Mission, called the slayings “disgusting.”

“It’s really sort of evil for somebody to prey on homeless people,” he said. “They really are the weakest people in our system.”

The attacks are indicative of the lack of support for homeless men, in particular, said Paul Leon, chief executive and president of the Illumination Foundation, an Orange County nonprofit that helps the homeless.

He said men like the ones killed have few places to go in Orange County because they don’t have access to women’s and family shelters, and most cold-weather shelters will probably close soon.

As a result, he said, these men “pretty much have to stay moving.”

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nicole.santacruz@latimes.com

dalina.castellanos@latimes.com

Times staff writer Rick Rojas contributed to this report.