A slashed car tire was the only obvious sign Sunday night of the violence that unfolded hours earlier at the Woodland Hills home of Jerry Sharell.
"Everybody in the music industry has known him forever and likes him and respects him," said neighbor Harold Sulman.
Sharell helped establish such acts as the Eagles, Carly Simon and Queen.
Sunday morning, he was held hostage, police say, along with his girlfriend and savagely attacked by her ex-husband.
Friends say Sharell had just recently started dating the woman after losing his wife to cancer.
Police say the suspect showed up at the house in the 4700 block of Nomad Drive around 8 a.m. on his motorcycle, carrying flowers and armed with a machete.
"He got off the bike, took off his helmet, went in the back, and pulled out a big bouquet of flowers and started walking down the street. I just thought it was weird," said Sulman.
"Over the next three hours, it appears that he held his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend hostage inside the residence," said LAPD Sgt. Jeff Nuttal. "Sometime during that time, the new boyfriend had been stabbed repeatedly, and then the suspect turned the weapon on himself and stabbed himself."
That's when the ex-wife escaped and called 911. Sharell was rushed to the hospital with extensive stab wounds to his neck and head, but he is expected to survive.
The suspect, 57-year-old Behnam Vasseghi of Woodland Hills, remained hospitalized Monday in stable condition, Faden said. He was expected in court Tuesday to face attempted murder charges.
Investigators say his girlfriend has a restraining order against her ex-husband, but it did little to stop him.
"A total shock because I've been living in this neighborhood for 30 years. A few little things, but it's basically a really good neighborhood," said neighbor Mike Zarsky. "So I was just totally shocked because he's just the greatest guy."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
