Man Facing Murder Trial In Rio Linda Ax Killing

RIO LINDA (CBS13/AP) -- A Northern California man is facing a murder trial in a fatal ax attack on another man.

Authorities say 30-year-old Steven Zinda mistakenly believed that David Valdez had burglarized his home when he chased Valdez down a Rio Linda street and bashed his face with an ax in March.

A Sacramento County Superior Court judge ordered Zinda to stand trial on a murder charge on Tuesday at the conclusion of a preliminary hearing.

Authorities say Zinda came home on March 20 to find his home ransacked. He allegedly grabbed an ax and went after the 20-year-old Valdez, who was in the neighborhood attending a house party and waiting on the street for a ride.

Believing that Valdez was the suspect, Zinda told investigators he chased the younger man into a field a quarter-mile away and fatally wounded him.