Police: Murder and Stabbing of Temecula Women Likely Committed by Same Man

Riverside County sheriff's officials are waiting Friday to question a man in connection to not one, but two, violent Temecula crimes-- one of them a murder.

"The suspect is not yet lucid to speak due to medical condition," Sheriff's Central Homicide Sgt. Raymond Huskey told Patch by telephone Friday morning.  "He's being medically evaluated and can't give a statement yet."

According to Huskey, the suspect-- whose name won't be released until after investigators speak with him-- was arrested Thursday morning following the second of two attacks on local women, which resulted in fatal injuries.

The first happened about six hours hours before, when a different Temecula woman awoke to the man stabbing her, according to police.

The man, who is in his 20s, was caught about five minutes after the 9 a.m. attack, also believed to have been a stabbing, on the woman on Nellie Court.  Authorities learned of the crime just moments after it happened, thanks to a call from an alert neighbor, according to the sergeant.

"It was a neighbor who called to report he was following someone after there was screaming," he said.

The man ran from the house, and was taken into custody at a nearby Lowe's parking lot, Huskey said.  Now, he's in an area hospital.

Huskey said he could not provide additional details about the man's medical condition, but said his hospitalization has nothing to do with law enforcement activity or action.

Though the two events appear to be connected at this point "via the suspect," Huskey says it's not believed the women knew the man.

"If they did, it appears to be very recent," he said as to any acquaintanceship between the woman who was murdered and the man.

Huskey said authorities don't believe that any other suspects are involved in these crimes.

"He appears to have acted alone," he said.