A 21-year-old man pleaded not guilty Friday to attempted murder in an alleged attempt to punish a prostitute by suffocating her with a pillow in Costa Mesa.
Eric Elijah Allen was charged Nov. 6 with attempted premeditated murder, kidnapping to commit robbery, kidnapping, robbery, human trafficking, pimping and pandering, all felonies, and a misdemeanor count of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, according to court records.
A Costa Mesa police investigator said in a motion to increase bail that Allen, who had met the victim a week before, grew enraged when she said she wanted to leave to see her child.
Allen allegedly put a pillow over her face while tying a cord around her neck to cut off her breathing and circulation Nov. 4, according to the investigator.
Then Allen allegedly punched her and kicked her multiple times, the investigator said. The woman was taken to an area hospital to be treated for pain in her jaw, the investigator said.
Another woman who had been at the motel with the victim told police she had been dating Allen for seven months and was working as a prostitute for him, according to the investigator’s motion. She said Allen had physically abused her and that he was on parole for domestic violence.
According to the criminal complaint, Allen was convicted in Riverside County Superior Court in February of 2016 in a domestic violence case.
Allen, being held on $1 million bail, was ordered to return to court Dec. 10 for a pretrial hearing.
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