Newbury Park man, the son of a child killer, charged in slaying brother with an ax

A 24-year-old man who stands accused of slaying his little brother with a pickaxe was charged on Monday with murder and corporal injury to a child, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.

The man, identified as Zuberi Sharp of Newbury Park, was arrested in the nude in the middle of Newbury Park High School’s football field on the evening of Dec. 5, according to the county sheriff’s office.

In the hours before his arrest, officials say an ambulance was called to a home on the 400 block of Jeanne Court around 8 p.m. after a teenager was struck in the head with an unknown object.

The 15-year-old, whose name remains concealed by officials, was in the process of being taken to the hospital when he was pronounced dead.

A neighbor told KTLA that the teen was Sharp’s brother, and that he was disabled and was a wheelchair user. Authorities did not immediately confirm this information.

The neighbor also said that Sharp suffers from mental issues and has “lost touch with reality.” Hours before he allegedly killed his brother, Sharp was found inside a storm drain and needed to be rescued by firefighters, the neighbor said.

Sharp, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, is the son of convicted killer Calvin Sharp.

Calvin, in 2007, killed 6-year-old Sev’n Molina with a meat cleaver. He pleaded guilty to the murder and was sentenced to life in prison.

On Monday, Dec. 9, Sharp made his first court appearance and did not enter a plea, according to the DA’s Office.

In addition to his charges, a release by the DA’s Office says Sharp also faces several special allegations and aggravating factors, “including use of a deadly weapon and that the victim was vulnerable.”

Sharp is scheduled to return to court for a competency hearing on Jan. 2, 2025, at the Ventura County Superior Court.

Until then, the 24-year-old remains in custody without the possibility of bail.