Teen Admits Murdering Woman on Carlsbad Hiking Trail in 2020

A young man admitted Thursday that he fatally stabbed a 68-year-old woman on a Carlsbad hiking trail when he was 17 years old.

Haloa Beaudet, who is now an adult and who prosecutors were moving to try as an adult, admitted to a murder count filed against him in connection with the 2020 death of Lisa Thorborg.

Mere hours before the arrest, NBC 7's Alexis Rivas came face-to-face with the man now accused of Lisa Thorburg's murder. Minutes before their unforgettable conversation, NBC 7’s cameras were rolling when the suspect was spotted, shoeless and shirtless, in the park where the Thorburg hiked for the last time.

The now 18-year-old defendant was expected within weeks to participate in a hearing to decide whether he should be tried as an adult in connection with the slaying of the 68-year-old widow, who was killed while trail hiking in Hosp Grove Park on Nov. 23, 2020.

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The slaying both terrified and outraged the Carlsbad community.

Homicide Victim Lisa Thorborg pictured smiling on a flyer

Beaudet was arrested weeks later, on Dec. 14, 2020.

Four days earlier, NBC 7's cameras were rolling when Beaudet was spotted, shoeless and shirtless, in the park where the woman was killed. He kept a broad smile on his face, always looking around curiously as he climbed the playground equipment and walked a trail.

On the day of Haloa's arrest, which came almost three weeks after the murder, NBC 7's cameras were rolling when he was spotted, shoeless and shirtless, in the park where the woman was killed, reports NBC 7's Dave Summers.

Before running off, Beaudet approached NBC 7 reporter Alexis Rivas and asked about the murder and if there were any leads.

Carlsbad investigators said Thorborg was stabbed twice in the neck after 11 a.m. The DNA of the then-17-year-old boy was found on the victim’s shorts, according to testimony heard in December in San Diego juvenile court.

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Surveillance footage from the nearby area captured a boy resembling Beaudet running away from the park about 15 minutes after police believe Thorborg was killed. Also, surveillance footage and license-plate reader data showed that Beaudet's grandmother dropped him off near the park about an hour before the attack.

NBC 7's Dave Summers shares reaction from the community, and the family of the victim.

Two pairs of flip-flops, including one believed to belong to Beaudet, were found near the crime scene. He was allegedly contacted by police in early December and ran from officers, who took him into custody, at which point his DNA was taken.

A San Diego County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman said Beaudet is slated to be sentenced Sept. 1 in San Diego Juvenile Court.