Parolee accused of killing Lake Elsinore Walmart employee pleads not guilty

The man accused of stabbing to death a 65-year-old Walmart salesclerk in Lake Elsinore pleaded not guilty Friday to first degree murder charges.  

Along with murder, Lonnie Hinton, 29, is charged with a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait, a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony and parole violations 

In the early morning of Aug. 5, Hinton allegedly confronted Jessica Morales inside the Supercenter, pulled a knife and stabbed her, for seemingly no reason.  

Police said Hinton had just been released from prison this year and currently was on parole.  

"Homicide investigators believe ... this (was) a random event, and there was no interaction between Hinton and the victim before she was killed," according to a District Attorney's Office statement. 

Police said that before investigators could begin a manhunt for the defendant, Hinton walked into the sheriff's Lake Elsinore station hours after the alleged attack and surrendered without incident. 

Court records show Hinton has prior convictions for robbery, theft and burglary. Hinton is being held without bail 

Relatives of Morales started a GoFundMe campaign for the benefit of her three adult children to help with memorial expenses. "She was kind, generous and loving to everyone she encountered," according to the campaign's website.