Grisly Homicide In Laguna Beach Leaves Neighbors Shocked

LAGUNA BEACH, CA -A Laguna Beach woman was found dead inside of her Coast Highway home, Sunday. San Clemente deputies arrested her son just a few hours later, authorities said.

Police initially responded to a 911 call from a residence inside the Laguna Terrace Park community on the 30800 block of Coast Highway, on Sunday morning after they discovered the body of Megan Hampton, 61. Neighbors told arriving officers that they heard "an argument and screaming" coming from inside the home, Laguna Beach Police Sgt. Jim Cota said.

After that, all went quiet.

According to media reports, the neighbors arrived as usual Sunday morning to take Megan Hampton to church, but no one answered her gate. Instead, Hampton's son "ran from the house, jumped in his mother's car and took off, according to Fox11.

Hampton's favored dog, a Mastiff, was covered in blood, Fox11 reported. When the concerned neighbors entered the home, they say they discovered her body in a gruesome state.

Laguna Beach police declined to comment on the weapon used, or the nature of the homicide.

Hampton's son, Matthew Bryson McDonald, a 34-year-old also of Laguna Beach, was pulled over while driving later that day. Orange County Sheriff's Department deputies arrested him in San Clemente. His bail is set at $1 million.

Though San Clemente deputies made the arrest, Laguna Beach police are the primary investigators in the homicide, OCSD spokeswoman Carrie Braun told Patch.

Charges against McDonald were expected to be filed on Tuesday.

If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact Sergeant Jim Cota at (949) 464-6671 or jcota@lagunabeachcity.net.

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