California Man Accused of Breaking Into Couple’s Home and Fatally Stabbing Husband, Attacking Wife with Screwdriver
MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA — A 36-year-old man is behind bars after police say he broke into a couple’s home in a quiet Murrieta neighborhood and fatally stabbed a 70-year-old man before attacking his wife with a screwdriver.
The suspect, identified as Manuel Arturo Alvarez, has been charged with homicide and attempted homicide, according to a statement from the Murrieta Police Department.
Random Morning Attack Turns Deadly
The violent home invasion happened just before 8:30 a.m. Wednesday on Old Spring Road, where police say Alvarez entered the couple’s home uninvited and attacked them without warning.
The woman, who survived the assault, called 911 in a panic.
“She told dispatchers that her husband had been stabbed and believed he was dead,” police said in a statement. “She had also been stabbed in the head with a screwdriver.”
When officers arrived, they found the woman bleeding but conscious and her husband dead from multiple stab wounds.
Authorities believe Alvarez used a knife to stab the husband and a screwdriver to attack the wife, who was later taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
Search and Capture
After the attack, Alvarez reportedly fled through the back door. Within minutes, police launched a massive search through the nearby neighborhood.
By 9 a.m., officers located Alvarez hiding in a ravine behind a home on Wild Flower Drive.
“He refused to surrender, forcing officers to deploy a K-9 to take him into custody,” Murrieta Police said.
Alvarez was treated at a hospital for dog bite injuries before being booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center on murder and attempted murder charges.
Neighborhood in Shock
Residents of the normally peaceful community said they were stunned by the brutal attack.
“This is random. This is just a house right down the street — it can happen to anybody,” said neighbor Jamel King in an interview with KABC.
Another resident described the chaos that unfolded that morning:
“I take my kids to school, it’s calm, and then I get back and there’s a helicopter circling,” said Heather King. “There were cops lined up everywhere.”
Police said they believe Alvarez entered the home through an unlocked door, and that the attack appears to be completely random.
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