Police arrest suspect in double homicide

Police have arrested a man in connection with the double homicide of a Fountain Valley woman and her co-worker in Stanton earlier this year.

Hilbert Pinell Thomas, 38, of Garden Grove, was arrested by Orange County sheriff’s deputies last week on suspicion of killing Elizabeth Palmer, 50, of Fountain Valley and her co-worker Matthew Scott, 42, of Costa Mesa.

The pair were working at Golden Sun Homes, a manufactured-home dealership in Stanton, Feb. 2 when they were killed.

Sheriff’s Department spokesman Jim Amormino said the break in the case came when Palmer’s car, a white 2004 Lexus GS300, was found Oct. 29 at the El Dorado Inn, 3360 W. Lincoln Ave., in Anaheim.

The license plates had been removed, and the rear plate was replaced with a South Bay Toyota paper plate.

The vehicle was clean, and it appeared it was being used in the eight months since the killing, Amormino said.

Scott and Palmer were found by the business owner, Scott’s father, shot to death inside the front office.

Authorities said there did not appear to be a clear motive because there were no signs of a struggle and nothing was missing except Palmer’s car.

— Joseph Serna