Beverly Hills Killer’s Criminal Past Cited

Two Las Vegas computer store owners testified Thursday in Santa Monica Superior Court about a burglary committed by Steven Livaditis less than two years before he staged a bloody siege at an exclusive Beverly Hills jewelry store that left three people dead.

The testimony came on the opening day of the penalty trial for Livaditis, who pleaded guilty April 28 to three counts of first-degree murder.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Dona Bracke, who is seeking the death penalty for Livaditis, 23, told the jury that she will present evidence of five incidents, starting with the 1984 burglary, that show an “increasing use of force and violence.”