A retired federal agent was found dead June 29 in Orange County in what police are describing as a particularly brutal attack. Narisco P. Leggs, a 53-year-old former Immigration and Naturalization Service special agent, was discovered in his Santa Ana, Calif., apartment, where he had been tied up, gagged and partially dismembered. Leggs' murder is the third in a series of recent violent attacks against gay men in Southern California.

Leggs, a former supervisory detention and deportation officer, was reported missing two days before he was discovered by his landlord. Orange County Sheriff's deputies forced their way into the apartment, finding the place in shambles. Leggs' 1994 Lincoln Town Car was also missing from the apartment parking lot.

A transient who had a history of not only theft, but also a record of allegedly targeting and harassing gay men was picked up in connection with the case. Gregory Michael Pisarcik, 25, was arrested in Ventura County the day after Leggs' body was found.

"The investigation is leaning toward the belief that he may have been targeting gay men for robbery," said Jim Amormino, an Orange County Sheriff's spokesman. Amormino would not comment on Leggs' sexuality, or what Pisarcik's motive might have been in the killing.

Pisarcik's arrest was nothing short of a gripping reality-TV drama. On June 30, a girl noticed a man trying to change the license plates on a 1991 Lincoln in a Ventura shopping mall parking lot. The girl told the car's owner, who called Ventura County deputies. The man escaped from the owner and the police, and made off with the license plate.

A few hours later, a Ventura County Sheriff's deputy saw a car with the switched plates and initiated a pursuit. A two-hour chase ensued, ending only after Pisarcik shot at an officer coming after him. The officers returned fire with a shotgun, disabling the car. Pisarcik turned himself over to authorities after a tense 20-minute standoff. The car Pisarcik used in his getaway is assumed to be Leggs' stolen Lincoln. The Ventura County Sheriff's immediately turned Pisarcik over to the Orange County authorities.

The murder in Orange County happened just weeks after the June 5 murder of a gay man outside a bar in Riverside. Jeffrey Owens, 40, was stabbed by gang members after coming to the aid of a friend who was being harassed by the group. "You want some trouble ... fag, here it is," said one of the gang members, just before fatally stabbing him.

Four months earlier, 37-year-old Scott Risetter of Santa Barbara was doused with gasoline and set on fire by Martin Thomas Hartman. Hartman allegedly told investigators he burned Risetter alive because the victim was "unhappy and depressed so he didn't need to be around in the world." According to the lead investigator in the case, Hartman stated he has a lot of hatred toward gay people. Hartman has been charged with murder, arson and a hate crime.

"Acts of violence such as this against members of our community are unthinkable, yet they occur with alarming frequency around the country. We are deeply saddened, angered, and ever more committed to changing the environment that fosters and supports this kind of hate violence," said Darrel Cummings, deputy executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in response to the Risetter murder.

In all three cases, however, suspects were quickly detained. The Orange County district attorney's office is expected to file charges of murder against Pisarcik, who is currently being held without bail.

--The Associated Press contributed to this article