Menifee man who allegedly stabbed his aunt charged with murder
Authorities have charged a Menifee man with his aunt's murder after she was found dead inside of her home last week.
They were called to the 27000 block of Adams Avenue at around 6 p.m. on Friday evening after learning of a woman who had possibly fallen in her home and was unresponsive, according to a release from the Menifee Police Department.
Upon arrival, they found the woman, identified as 60-year-old Dixie Ortiz, lying on the floor with blood on her face. They said that she did not have any obvious injuries and paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.
Detectives with MPD responded to the scene to take over the investigation, where they found that she had suffered a single wound consistent with a stab wound, the release said.
The next day, her 31-year-old nephew Vicente Ortiz was arrested as the suspect in her murder. On top of murder, Ortiz was charged with a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony. He also faces misdemeanor charges of brandishing a weapon and resisting arrest. They were added to the criminal complaint from an unrelated incident that happened last year in December.
He remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail.
Investigators have not yet revealed a possible motive in the incident.
Anyone who knows more is asked to contact Menifee police at (951) 723-1607.
