Tulare County prosecutors filed a murder case Friday against a man accused of fatally stabbing an elderly woman while fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run collision in Visalia this week.
Miguel Mora Camacho, 28, of Visalia is charged with murder, making criminal threats and vandalism in connection with the killing of 75-year-old Myrna Otherson during a knife attack at her home in the 2800 block of South Lovers Lane on Wednesday, Feb. 4, according to Visalia Police Department and Tulare County District Attorney’s officials.
He additionally faces sentence-enhancing special allegations, including the of using a deadly weapon and targeting a vulnerable victim, prosecutors announced.
Just prior to the stabbing, Camacho has been involved in a hit-and-traffic collision about 11:30 a.m. in the 3200 block of South Lovers Lane, police said.
The fleeing suspect ran into an apartment complex in the 2800 block of South Lovers Lane and began pounding on on doors, according to a police statement.
“During this time, the victim, a 75-year-old woman, opened her door and was attacked by the suspect,” the statement said. “She was stabbed multiple times.”
Paramedics took the badly wounded woman to a hospital, where she ultimately died.
Police managed to find and arrest Camacho within the apartment complex, “with the assistance of several brave community members,” police stated.
“While taking the suspect into custody, he attempted to force officers into shooting him, but they were able to successfully take him into custody without doing so,” the statement added.
There was no known connection between the suspect and victim, investigators said. A motive was not clear.
Camacho was scheduled to appear at an arraignment hearing Friday afternoon in Tulare County Superior Court, records show. If convicted as charged, he faces the possibility of life in prison.
The investigation was ongoing. Anyone with information was urged to contact the Visalia Police Department at (559) 734-8116. Tips may also be submitted to the department’s Anonymous Tip Line at (559) 713-4738.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Man charged with murder after fleeing crash, fatally stabbing 75-year-old woman
Reporting by Brian Day, Victorville Daily Press / Visalia Times-Delta
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
