Pacific Union broker who fatally shot ex-wife showed no signs of distress, friend said

UPDATED, 9:40 a.m., March 20: The Pacific Union agent who fatally shot his ex-wife before turning the gun on himself at a Thousand Oaks mall showed no signs of distress and was excited about his new job, a friend said. But authorities now say that Crane was arrested several years ago on a domestic battery charge, accused of attacking the same woman.

Kevin Crane, survived the apparent suicide attempt and remained in critical condition as of Tuesday, authorities said. He had not been officially charged.

The 33-year-old, who specialized in luxury residential deals and serving celebrity clientele, joined up with Pacific Union in January, but had bounced around between a few agencies in recent years. Friends expressed shock at the killing and said Crane did not appear agitated or unhappy in the weeks leading up to Saturday’s shooting.

He walked into the The Oaks mall and confronted his ex-wife, 29-year-old Parisa Siddiqi, at Paper Source store, where she worked, authorities said. Crane shot and killed Siddiqi following a heated argument, authorities said. The couple divorced last year and had two children together. The children were unharmed.

Authorities now confirm that Siddiqi had called the police in September 2014, saying Crane had attacked her, Ventura County Chief Deputy District Attorney Mike Frawley told the Ventura County Star. Police arrested Crane in connection with felony domestic battery, but the case never went to trial because Siddiqi, who was his fiancee at the time, recanted her statement, according to the report.

Crane started his real estate career at Rodeo Realty of Woodland Hills around 2014. The next year, he jumped to Keller Williams and then last year, signed on with Compass. He stayed there about a year until joining Pacific Union in January, where he worked on star broker Aaron Kirman’s team. Kirman did not return multiple requests for comment, and members of his team referred all questions to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, which is handling the investigation.

Robert Matthews, who had worked with Crane at Nordstrom and helped him get the job at Rodeo Realty, last spoke with his friend about three weeks ago, he said. Crane seemed excited about his move to Pacific Union.

“It was all on the up and up,” Matthews said. “I was used to Kevin switching companies. He was quick about moving up. I’m shocked. I couldn’t believe it.”

But Matthews also said Crane “never let it be known” about his divorce, which happened in mid-2017, or that there had been any trouble in the marriage.

At work, life appeared stable. Zillow listed eight sales he was involved in over the last year, and 19 from mid-2016 to last fall, most of which closed under $700,000. He represented both buyers and sellers on those deals, which were spread around the Los Angeles area.

Crane also work with celebrity clients. He represented rapper Big Sean when he bought an 11,000-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion in the fall from Guns ‘N Roses guitarist Slash, for $7.3 million. Crane was also reportedly ready to show rapper Travis Scott a home last month, before Scott canceled when his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, went into labor with their first child, according to The Blast.