Menifee woman fatally stabbed at Lake Elsinore Walmart

By Doug Spoon, Editor

A Menifee woman was fatally stabbed at a Lake Elsinore Walmart store Monday in what authorities described as what “appears to be a random event.”

Jessica Morales, 65, was an employee at the store and was attacked about 7 a.m., according to a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department news release. Deputies found her suffering from multiple stab wounds and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Lonnie Hinton of Wildomar, later turned himself in at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station. He was arrested for murder and booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center. Hinton was released from state prison earlier this year and was on active parole at the time of the incident.

Police said there was no interaction between the suspect and the victim prior to the assault. No further details were released.

If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to call Investigator K. Farag or Investigator D. Robertson of the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777.