A 59-year-old probationer accused of stabbing a Riverside man during a confrontation on the city’s eastside was charged Wednesday with murder.
Armando Meza was arrested hours after the attack Saturday in the 4200 block of Park Avenue, near 12th Street. Along with the murder count, he is charged with use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony and probation violations.
He’s being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail and is slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
According to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, Meza and the victim got into an argument for unspecified reasons about 1:15 p.m. Saturday, and it escalated into a physical confrontation. During the fight, the defendant pulled a knife and stabbed the man multiple times, Railsback alleged.
He said Meza fled the location as witnesses called 911.
Paramedics arrived within several minutes and found the victim clinging to life. He was taken to Riverside Community Hospital, where he died a short time later, according to Railsback. The man’s name has not been released.
Detectives developed leads in the investigation several hours later, pointing to Meza as the alleged perpetrator, Railsback said. The defendant was arrested without a struggle less than two blocks away.
According to court records, he has two prior misdemeanor convictions for driving under the influence.
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