Monrovia missing case: Boyfriend charged with capital murder in suspected death of girlfriend

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Boyfriend charged in suspected murder of missing Monrovia woman
A Monrovia man has been charged with capital murder in the suspected death of his girlfriend who hasn't been seen since late July, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

MONROVIA, Calif. (KABC) -- A Monrovia man has been charged with capital murder in the suspected death of his girlfriend who hasn't been seen since late July, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

Robert Anthony Camou, 27 is facing one count of murder with a special circumstance allegation of killing a witness and an allegation that he was out on bail when he committed the crime, according to a press release from the Los Angeles District Attorney's office.

Extensive search efforts have been deployed to try and locate Amanda Kathleen Custer, 31, who was last seen in the 600 block of Vaquero Road in Monrovia. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department say witnesses saw her lifeless body being placed into the back of a gray Toyota Prius on July 29 by her estranged boyfriend, Robert Anthony Camou.

Camou was already under a restraining order filed by Custer in February, which included details of his alleged obsessive behavior.

Authorities outlined a timeline for Camou's activity around the time of Custer's disappearance.

Following an alleged altercation between Camou and Custer on July 29, investigators say they found blood and a digging tool in the back of the suspect's Prius.

Surveillance footage shows Camou, after he was last seen with Custer, at an ampm store in Fontana. Investigators do not have information on Camou's whereabouts for five hours after his trip to the convenience store, until he visited a Chase Bank ATM in Azusa.

Later that day, Camou is believed to have visited a bar in downtown Los Angeles, where he appeared to mention killing and burying a woman in a rap captured on camera.

Video seemingly shows him dancing at the bar during an open mic night, attempting to grab the microphone from the host.

A man suspected in a Monrovia woman's kidnapping appears to mention killing and burying a woman while rapping at a downtown Los Angeles bar, new video shows.

"I killed my b**** and buried that b**** in the f****** dirt," he says while staring into the camera.

Investigators are trying to determine if what Camou said in the video could have anything to do with Custer's disappearance.

Just a day later, Camou was arrested after a four-hour standoff with police in downtown Los Angeles.

Investigators have used helicopters, police dogs and search teams to help locate Custer, scouring the areas of Mount Baldy and Lytle Creek, which Camou is familiar with. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors are offering a $10,000 reward in the case.

Camou is expected to be arraigned on Oct. 10 in Pasadena.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department at 323-890-5500. Those who wish to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.