A stage actor shot, beheaded and dismembered his neighbour in a military base theatre, then killed the victim's friend after using the dead man's mobile phone to lure her to his apartment, police said.

Daniel Wozniak, 26, was charged with two counts of murder yesterday, the same day he was supposed to get married to fiancee Rachel Buffet in a Long Beach, California, park, said Det Sgt Ed Everett.

Wozniak's father, Daryl, said his son was in a coma after trying to commit suicide. Mr Everett said he was being treated at a hospital but he did not describe his condition.

Daniel Wozniak, who recently starred in the lead role as Guido Contini in the musical Nine at a theatre company, is accused of dismembering the body of Samuel Herr, 26, on May 21, leaving his torso at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base and scattering the limbs and head in a park.

Wozniak is also accused of shooting Juri Kibuishi, 23, after summoning her with a text message on Herr's phone, then removing her clothes to fake a sexual assault. Her body was found May 22 by Mr Herr's father.

The motive appeared to be financial, police said.

Police detained a 17-year-old boy after he withdrew nearly £1,380 from Mr Herr's bank account, said police Lt Bryan Glass. The teenager told police he was making the withdrawals for Daniel Wozniak.

Daryl Wozniak said his son had never displayed any signs of violence or psychological problems.

"We are stunned," he said. "He was an ideal son, he went out of his way to help everybody."

He said his son stopped accepting phone calls from him about six months ago. He did not know why and said there had been no falling out.

"He just disappeared," Mr Wozniak said.