Menifee man charged with murder of family member

By Doug Spoon, Editor

A Menifee man was arrested on a murder charge Friday after a female family member was found stabbed to death in a Menifee residence, police said.

Police responding to a call for assistance in the 27000 block of Adams Avenue discovered Dixie Ortiz, 60, lying unresponsive on the floor about 6:09 p.m., according to a Menifee Police Department news release. The victim had blood on her face but no obvious injuries initially. CAL FIRE personnel responded and pronounced the victim dead.

Menifee Police detectives took control of the investigation. Further investigation revealed a single wound on the victim which appeared consistent with a stab wound. Vicente Ortiz, 31, was identified as a suspect in the case. He was arrested and booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center and faces a felony murder charge and two misdemeanor charges. Bail was set at $1 million and Ortiz has a March 26 court date, according to jail records.

The family relationship between the suspect and victim has not been released. Detectives are working to determine the motive behind the attack. Anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact Detective Alcala at Valcala@menifeepolice.org or 951-723-1607.