Menifee man in police custody after fatal stabbing

By Doug Spoon, Editor

A Menifee man is in custody following a fatal stabbing in a Menifee neighborhood on Friday, police said.

Samuel McNeal Jr., 22, faces a felony murder charge resulting from the incident, which was reported at about 3:40 p.m. Friday in the area of Copper River Road, according to a Menifee Police Department news release. Officers arrived to find a male adult suffering from apparent stab wounds to his upper torso. He was pronounced dead on scene.

Officers began a search of the area and nearby Boulder Ridge Elementary School was placed on lockdown. Several local entrances to the neighborhood were blocked off. Working with partnering agencies, officers located the suspect and took him into custody without incident. The lockdown of the school was lifted shortly before 7 p.m.

An investigation revealed that the suspect and victim knew each other. There are no outstanding suspects and no threat to the public at this time, police said.

If you have any additional information related to this incident, please contact Detective Josh Ramirez at 951-723-1618 or at jramirez@MenifeePolice.org.