A murder charge was filed Wednesday against a convicted felon accused of fatally stabbing a 32-year-old trucker parked alongside Interstate 15 in Lake Elsinore.
Vanessa Michele Ruvalcaba, 23, of Riverside was arrested Saturday morning after allegedly killing Hosbaldo Davila Jr. of San Bernardino.
Along with the murder count, Ruvalcaba is charged with a sentence-enhancing weapon allegation for use of a knife.
She’s being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside and is slated to make her initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the attack happened about 7 a.m. on the shoulder of southbound Interstate 15, near Main Street. Ruvalcaba was in the cab of the truck, which did not have a trailer attached, when she allegedly stabbed the victim, Officer Mike Lassig said.
He said witnesses saw the defendant running away from the rig and became suspicious, prompting several calls to 911. CHP officers and Riverside County sheriff’s deputies arrived within a couple of minutes and detained the probationer not far from the truck, according to Lassig.
Davila was found, unconscious, inside the vehicle, Lassig said. Paramedics pronounced him dead a few minutes later.
A possible motive for the attack was not disclosed.
According to court records, Ruvalcaba has a prior conviction for burglary, resulting in a three-year sentence of probation.
>> Want to read more stories like this? Get our Free Daily Newsletters Here!