A probationer accused of killing a woman during a domestic dispute at his family’s Murrieta home was charged Thursday with murder and other offenses.
Jacob Aaron Lepe, 21, was arrested Tuesday morning following the alleged attack in the 23000 block of Abury Avenue.
Along with the murder count, Lepe is charged with a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.
He’s being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning and is slated to make his initial court appearance Thursday afternoon at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.
According to Murrieta police Lt. Mark Reid, a domestic squabble erupted at the defendant’s family home about 11 a.m. Tuesday, prompting one of the occupants to leave the property and call 911.
Reid said Lepe was “being aggressive toward relatives,” who feared for their safety. No other details were disclosed.
When patrol officers arrived, they found the defendant adjacent to the house, “covered in blood” and standing over the victim, whose identity was being withheld at the request of detectives, the lieutenant said.
Lepe allegedly refused officers’ orders to drop to his knees and surrender peacefully, prompting them to deploy a Taser, after which he surrendered, according to Reid.
The defendant has a prior misdemeanor conviction for driving under the influence of drugs, according to court records.
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