In the quiet residential neighborhood of the 1700 block of West Mossberg Avenue in West Covina, a shocking act of family violence shattered the peace on New Year’s Day, Thursday, January 1, 2026. Around 12:30 p.m., an argument erupted inside the home shared by 74-year-old Priscilla Sesanto, her 77-year-old husband Philip Sesanto, and their 28-year-old grandson Joshua Philip Day, who had been living with them.
What began as a heated dispute quickly turned brutal when Day allegedly unleashed a ferocious physical assault, repeatedly punching both grandparents in a savage outburst that left them with devastating injuries.
The blows struck with such intensity that both Priscilla and Philip suffered severe trauma, particularly to the head and upper body. Emergency calls came from a concerned neighbor who heard the commotion and alerted authorities. West Covina police officers responded swiftly to the scene of the family disturbance, discovering the elderly couple in dire condition with visible, life-threatening wounds.
Paramedics rushed Priscilla and Philip to a nearby hospital for urgent treatment; Priscilla, already in critical condition and slipping into a coma from the blunt-force impacts, fought for her life through the night and into the next day.
Tragically, Priscilla Sesanto succumbed to her injuries on Friday, January 2, 2026, when she was officially pronounced dead at the hospital. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner conducted an autopsy and ruled her death a homicide, attributing it specifically to blunt-force head trauma inflicted during the attack. Her husband Philip, though seriously hurt and requiring medical care, survived the ordeal and was eventually released from the hospital after treatment for his wounds.
Meanwhile, Joshua Philip Day initially barricaded himself inside the home, refusing to surrender and prompting a hours-long standoff that necessitated the involvement of a SWAT team. After about four hours, he was taken into custody without further incident that same afternoon.
Authorities charged him following the grandmother’s death, with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filing one count of murder and one felony count of elder or dependent adult abuse with great bodily injury. Day faces the possibility of up to 34 years to life in prison if convicted.
The loss of Priscilla Sesanto serves as a somber reminder of vulnerability in domestic settings, especially during holiday periods when family tensions can surface unexpectedly. As legal proceedings continue, including court appearances in Pomona and considerations of mental competency, the surviving family members and neighbors grapple with the profound grief and unanswered questions surrounding how such brutality could erupt within a long-standing family home.
