San Jose rampage suspect worked for Google, had meth problem: court documents

Aug 27, 2023

by: Amy Larson

Posted: Jun 7, 2023 / 10:38 AM PDT

Updated: Jun 7, 2023 / 02:05 PM PDT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) — A man accused of going on a homicidal rampage targeting random victims across San Jose and Milpitas once worked for Google, according to court documents obtained by KRON4.

Kevin Parkourana's criminal history indicates his life and mental health spiraled out of control in early 2019. At the time, his mother told police that her son was using methamphetamine, becoming violent at home, was suffering from a mood disorder, and was making bad decisions while under the influence of drugs.

Parkourana, 31, formerly worked as a data collector for Google in Mountain View and lived with his parents on Kooser Road, according to court documents. At some point, he lost his job.

Throughout 2019, San Jose Police Department officers were called to the Kooser Road home for "countless welfare checks" concerning Parkourana's mental health and aggressive behavior, police reports state. Officers suspected that he was experiencing paranoid schizophrenia, and he was placed on several "5150" involuntary psychiatric holds. In the summer of 2019, Parkourana left one hospital with an IV stunt still in his arm.

In October of 2019, police launched an investigation into Parkourana for making homemade pipe bombs. His mother told police she was concerned that her son was making dangerous devices in the garage. Officers arrested Parkourana after a bomb squad found explosive devices inside his car and home garage.

Parkourana told officers that he was planning to throw the bombs into a nearby creek to harm homeless people, whom he described as "hicks," court documents show. "Kevin intended to throw the device into the creek where people live," a San Jose Police Department officer wrote in the police report.

Parkourana admitted to one officer that he had used methamphetamine that morning "just to wake up." He then changed his story about who his intended target was.

He told an officer "that he was in fear of his life regarding a Hells Angel dangerous person who had been murdered." He also said he feared for his life because "his ex-girlfriend had many Syrian friends who may have been following him," the police report states.

The officer noted that Parkourana didn't know names of any of the people who were supposedly following him and might hurt him. Police determined that Parkourana was suffering from paranoia and delusions.

"The suspect was determined to be a danger to himself and other, and was placed on a mental health evaluation hold (5150 hold)," the police report states.

Parkourana was arrested in January of 2021 on suspicion of battery for attacking his mother at home. Police returned to the house in February 2021 when he assaulted his mother again on his birthday. The mother said her son wanted to go out with friends, but she objected because he often used illicit drugs when he left home. "She stated he is diagnosed with mood disorders and takes medication for it, and has only gotten worse since he has been using drugs," a police report states.

His mother was later granted a domestic violence protective order.

During another 2021 incident, police placed Parkourana on a psychiatric hold when he was "feeling homicidal" and had sent threats to friends. He was also arrested on March 20, 2021 when he violated his mother's restraining order and later attempted to smuggle crystal methamphetamine into a Santa Clara County Jail, according to court records.

Parkourana pleaded no contest to battery on Sept. 6, 2022 and served 50 days in jail. He was released from custody in January 2023 and was granted supervised release by Judge Julianne Sylva.

Parkourana was out of jail on active probation during the June 1 rampage. It's still unclear what triggered Thursday's killing spree and police have not released a motive.

Outside the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice on Tuesday, District Attorney Jeffrey Rosen told reporters that there was nothing that his office could have done differently to prevent the June 1 rampage. Prosecutors only file and pursue charges that can be proven in court, Rosen emphasized. "There is nothing we could have done that would have prevented this," Rosen said.

San Jose Police Chief Anthony Mata said he's going to work with the DA and county parole office to see if the criminal justice system failed somewhere along the way.

"Given his history, we have to look at where the system failed, if that was the case," Mata said.

Parkourana is accused of going on a killing spree June 1 across San Jose and Milpitas. He targeted 10 random victims, police said. Some of the victims were stabbed in the neck and carjacked, while others were intentionally run over with stolen cars.

Two of the homicides happened in downtown San Jose. Parkourana intentionally slammed a stolen SUV into three pedestrians in downtown San Jose on East Santa Clara Street, police said. After striking the pedestrians the first time, "the Honda SUV was then seen reversing and driving over two of the victims a second time, before then fleeing the scene," a SJPD detective wrote. Two of the pedestrians, 71-year-old Phuc Pham and 73-year-old Hanh Pham Nguyen, were killed, court documents state.

The third homicide happened on Jacklin Road in Milpitas, where Jiwanjot Singh Dhariwal was repeatedly stabbed in the neck. The 26-year-old Milpitas man died from his injuries.

Police Chief Mata said officers halted the killing spree and prevented "more bloodshed" when they found Parkourana hiding near a Milpitas High School graduation ceremony. Officers handcuffed the suspect and took him into custody Thursday evening.

Prosecutors charged Parkourana with three murders, multiple attempted murders, and a slew of other charges related to the rampage. "If convicted of these crimes, he will spend the rest of his life in prison," Rosen said.

He is being held in a Santa Clara County jail with no bail. On Tuesday, Parkourana refused to attend his own arraignment to enter a plea. Parkourana was appointed a public defender and ordered to appear in a courtroom on Thursday for arraignment.

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