The San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office has identified four family members found dead inside their Westwood Highlands home as Thomas Russell Ocheltree, 57, Paula Truong, 53, and their daughters, Alexandra Ocheltree, 12, and Mackenzie Ocheltree, 9. Police discovered the bodies on the afternoon of October 9, during a welfare check at the residence on the 900 block of Monterey Boulevard.
Officers responded to the home around 1:30 p.m., after receiving a 911 call from Ocheltree’s brother requesting a welfare check. The San Francisco Police Department is investigating the deaths as suspicious with signs of a criminal element, though the case has not been officially classified as a homicide.
Two sources indicated to KTVU that the family may have died in a possible murder-suicide. The department’s homicide unit is leading the investigation while the medical examiner’s office continues to determine the causes and manner of death through autopsy results.
SFPD spokesperson Officer Robert Rueca noted that “this appears to be a criminal action” based on evidence at the scene. He emphasized that such incidents rarely occur in the normally peaceful Westwood Highlands neighborhood.
Public records reveal the family faced mounting financial difficulties in recent years. Truong purchased the $1.3 million home in 2014, but subsequently used it as collateral for nearly $500,000 in private loans over the following two years. By 2017, she had transferred ownership to a business entity associated with her auto repair company, Zentrum Motors, which then secured $1.8 million in financing from Cathay Bank.
The couple’s financial troubles deepened as they expanded their business ventures. They operated Zentrum Motors, an auto repair shop specializing in European cars, before diversifying into hospitality. In 2020, they purchased a deli on Monterey Boulevard and transformed it into Starr Spirits, a high-end liquor and wine retailer that closed in 2023.
Simultaneously, Truong and Ocheltree opened four Orbit Coffee locations specializing in Vietnamese iced coffee, three in Oakland and one in San Jose. All four locations also shuttered in 2023 as their business empire collapsed.
By 2019, Truong had secured additional loans totaling more than $2.7 million, including financing from National Fleet Wholesale, a Southern California used-car dealership. When the couple defaulted on their debts, foreclosure proceedings began. The home was sold at public auction for $2 million, though the family continued living there.
In March 2024, Truong and Ocheltree were removed as owners and replaced by entities tied to their mortgage company, which was owed nearly $2.5 million. The sheriff’s office confirmed they had received no formal eviction notice at the time of their deaths.
Additional financial pressures mounted when Discover Bank sued Truong in January for $17,716 in unpaid credit card debt. A judge’s default ruling in April ordered her to pay $18,157.26, including costs.
Paul Bleeg, a retired tax partner at accounting firm EisnerAmper, described Truong as a driven entrepreneur who had been his client for approximately 15 years. He indicated that Truong was the driving force behind the couple’s various business ventures, but they stopped paying his invoices and ceased communication about five years ago.
Neighbors described the family as quiet but friendly, known for their elaborate holiday light displays. They had moved into the neighborhood about a year ago and were often seen with their dog. However, several residents noted seeing less of the family in recent months.
Next-door neighbor Belinda Hanart indicated she could hear the children playing in the garden and the family having outdoor dinners, but noticed decreased activity in recent months. She wondered if they were preparing to sell the house due to the reduced movement around the property.
The family regularly visited Mudpuppy on Castro, a pet-grooming business, over the past four years with their dog Mango. A manager at the establishment described learning of the deaths as heartbreaking. San Francisco Animal Care and Control confirmed Thursday that officers had not taken a dog from the address into their care.
One neighbor noticed an unusual detail in the days leading up to the discovery: the family’s garbage cans remained on the curb Monday after collection, which was uncharacteristic for them. The cans were still outside when police made the grim discovery.
