Los Angeles, Ca
Murder suspect arrested after fleeing scene of fatal parking lot stabbing
A Riverside County man is in custody after he allegedly fatally stabbed another man in a parking lot.
According to a release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to the 31000 block of Riverside Drive at 9:32 p.m. Saturday in Lake Elsinore on calls of an assault with a deadly weapon.
Arriving deputies located a man suffering from several stab wounds, RCSO said; he was transported to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
His identity is not being released pending notification of next-of-kin.
“Deputies developed suspect information and a direction of travel in which he fled after the stabbing,” RCSO stated. “The suspect was soon located fleeing into an apartment complex in the 16000 block of Joy Street.”
Deputies later took the man – identified as 50-year-old Steven Smith of Lake Elsinore – into custody without further incident inside the apartment complex, authorities said.
No additional suspects are believed to be outstanding, law enforcement officials added.
Smith was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center for murder. Inmate records indicate that he was also charged with two misdemeanors: unlawful possession of paraphernalia and trespassing.
His bail was set at $1 million.
Smith is scheduled to appear at the Murrieta Southwest Justice Center for his first court appearance on Wednesday.
Anyone with information surrounding the deadly stabbing is asked to contact Investigator D. Robinson with the RCSO’s Central Homicide Unit by calling 951-955-2777.
Information can also be submitted to Investigator Contreras at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station by calling 951-245-3300.
A woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after she was violently attacked by a robber in downtown Long Beach. On June 18, Jennifer Silva, 34, was attending a World Cup watch party at a Hooters restaurant at 90 Aquarium Way. After the game ended, she left the restaurant just before 11 p.m. As she walked […]
Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
Los Angeles, Ca
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