Defendant Kyle Lombardo was arraigned in Burbank Municipal court at 2 pm on May 9, 2024, on the charge of “felony murder with malice aforethought” of his mother, Karyn Buckle Lombardo, according to the Penal Code Section 187 complaint issued against him.
Lombardo entered the courtroom for his arraignment, looking stunned and glassy-eyed with unkempt, near shoulder-length dark hair. After about two minutes, while sitting handcuffed in the docket, Lombardo appeared to begin weeping, and his body shook.
A man who identified himself as “Kevin” declined to offer his last name. He said he was the uncle of the accused and the brother of the victim. All he would comment on was that “Kyle has the mentality of a 10-year-old.”
Los Angeles County Public Defender Jimmy Chu and the prosecutor, Mackenzie Teymouri, agreed to have Lombardo’s case set over for final arraignment in the Pasadena Courthouse scheduled for May 22. After he is sent to LA County Jail, he will be given a routine evaluation, and the decision will be made as to where he will be held on $2 million bail.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón issued the following statement on the arrest, “My deepest condolences go out to the victim’s loved ones during this tremendously difficult time,” District Attorney Gascón said. “Ms. Lombardo, a beloved teacher in the Burbank community, had her life senselessly taken. I want to assure the victim’s family and the community that our office is fully committed to seeking justice and accountability in this tragedy.”
Addressing the media briefly after the 25-year-old Lombardo’s arraignment, Public Defender Chu spoke about how this was “a tragic and unintentional death committed by a loving son.” In response to a reporter’s question regarding the cause of death, Chu would only say “no comment” but then add that there was no weapon involved in Karyn Buckle Lombardo’s death. Several newsmen tried to ask Mr. Chu how there could be an “accidental death” with “no weapon involved,” but he refused to comment further.
The Coroner has ruled that Lombardo’s cause of death was a “Basilar Subarachnoid Hemorrhage” from “Blunt Force Head Trauma.”
If convicted as charged, the maximum sentence is life in state prison.
