18-year-old accused of killing father, brother at Elk Grove home appears in court

An Elk Grove teen charged with two counts of murder in connection with the Monday morning killing of two family members made his first appearance Wednesday before a magistrate.

Noah Battaglia, 18, appeared before Sacramento Superior Court Commissioner Benjamin Cassady, who read aloud two felony counts for the murders of Russell Battaglia, 51, and Christian Battaglia, 19.

The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office confirmed the names Thursday. Police officers had pronounced the two men — identified as Battaglia’s father and brother — dead after responding to a report of a shooting on the 8200 block of Triplefin Way at about 5:30 a.m. Monday, according to the Elk Grove Police Department.

Detectives later concluded “that the incident stemmed from an argument among family members,” a department news release said.

Noah Battaglia, who has light brown hair and a beard, wore an orange jumpsuit as he entered the courtroom in the basement of the Sacramento County Main Jail, where he has been held since Monday evening. He consulted with a public defender, then held his hands together and looked directly at Cassady while the magistrate spoke.

Battaglia made no audible comments.

Battaglia did not turn to look at a woman in the public seating area who sobbed as the charges were read, prompting an officer to hand her a tissue paper.

Battaglia did not enter a plea. Cassady agreed to schedule his next appearance in court for Aug. 21.

“It’s going to be months before we get all the discovery,” said Sacramento County Public Defender Norm Dawson. “It’s too early to say anything.”

He said he had introduced himself to Battaglia’s mother, the crying woman, just before the brief hearing.

The woman declined to speak with The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento County Deputy District Attorney Omar Singh also declined to comment.

According to Elk Grove police, Battaglia had left the scene Monday before officers arrived but was found about two hours later in south Sacramento and arrested.

“It’s early in the investigation, but what we do know is that this was not a random act,” Sgt. Jason Jimenez, a police spokesperson, said at the scene Monday.

Jimenez said Wednesday that he could not specify how the victims were related to Noah Battaglia before the Coroner’s Office released their names.

Jimenez said four people lived at the house on Triplefin Way, south of Whitelock Parkway, where the double homicide occurred. Two were killed, and Jimenez said police investigators had interviewed both of the house’s surviving inhabitants: Noah Battaglia and another family member, whom he did not identify.

This story was originally published June 25, 2025 at 5:40 PM.