Widow of Murdered Camper Tristan Beaudette Files $90 Million Claim

The widow of a father shot to death while camping at Malibu Creek State Park has taken legal action against Los Angeles County and the state of California, alleging numerous agencies failed to warn the public about a series of mysterious shootings in and around the park in the months before her husband, Tristan Beaudette, was shot to death.

Erica Wu, who now lives in Northern California, has filed a government claim for damages on behalf of herself and her 2 and 4-year-old daughters demanding at least $90 million in compensation for Beaudette's death.

"The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, California State Park Police, Department of Parks and Recreation, and California State Parks and Recreation Commission have confirmed they were aware of at least seven unsolved shootings in Malibu Creek State Park," the claim said. "[The agencies] ... negligently failed to care and provide a safe space for Beaudette and his children, instead causing his death."

Wu could not be reached for comment. Her attorney did not immediately return messages.

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The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement, "we reserve comment on pending litigation."

Beaudette, 35, was shot to death before dawn on June 22, 2018 while he slept alongside his daughters inside a closed tent. Beaudette's brother in law and his brother in law's two sons were in another tent nearby, according to the claim.

There had been at least seven other unsolved shooting incidents in or near the park between November 2016 and Beaudette's death, according to the complaint.

Last week prosecutors charged a parolee with murdering Beaudette and 10 attempted murders.

Anthony Rauda, 42, was also charged with burglarizing several buildings near the park. The attempted murder allegations include two counts for Beaudette's daughters, one count for another shooting four days earlier, and several counts for shootings in 2017.

Rauda made an initial appearance in court Jan. 7.

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He is expected back in court Jan. 22 to enter pleas to the charges. He was being held on $1.1 million bail.

In a statement the California State Parks department said it, "does not comment on potential or pending claims."