A parolee has been charged with first-degree murder following the stabbing death of a Walmart employee in Lake Elsinore, as reported by ABC7. Lonnie Will Hinton III, the 29-year-old suspect, is facing charges including a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait, which might escalate the severity of the potential sentence.

Upon his arrest, Hinton was also charged with using a deadly weapon during a felony and violating parole, Hinton encountered Jessica Morales, the 65-year-old victim, early Monday before the Walmart located on Central Avenue had opened, where he allegedly assaulted her with a knife and then fled the scene after, Morales was found dead by deputies despite the attempts at medical assistance, claimed NBC Los Angeles.

Hinton, who had turned himself in at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station following the incident, was on parole at the time of the attack after being released from prison earlier this year; he had served time for felony robbery and misdemeanor petty theft, as per court records outlined by Riverside County District Attorney's Office. The report from the DA’s office also mentioned that Hinton is expected to make his first court appearance for arraignment on the morning of Aug. 8, 2024.

Although the investigation is ongoing and details surrounding the motive remain unspecified, the attack appears to have been without discernible provocation or prior interaction between Hinton and Morales; this characterization of the incident as "a random event" was reiterated by homicide investigators, keeping the case shrouded with an unsettling sense of arbitrariness and adding a layer to the community's grief and shock.