An Irvine man was taken into custody by local police on Tuesday on suspicion of fatally stabbing his roommate after what was reported to be an accumulation of arguments spanning several days. The Irvine Police Department stated that they received a call at about 6 a.m. to a residence on Fortuna Street in the Northwood area, according to KTLA. Upon arrival, officers located 22-year-old Zackery Dean Hinkle outside the home, who claimed involvement in a physical skirmish with his roommate, resulting in the stabbing.
Detectives entered the residence to find 53-year-old Terry Rahmatulla near the front door, wounded from at least one stab. Despite the officers' efforts at administering first aid, Rahmatulla was pronounced dead at the scene. Detained, Hinkle awaited transportation to the Orange County Jail, facing murder charges, with other roommates in the home reportedly unharmed by the incident.
The Irvine Police Department shared in a Facebook post that the altercation escalated to physicality early this morning, leading Hinkle to stab Rahmatulla in the upper body. The department divulged that while the investigation is still proceeding, it seems the arguments had been building up over the last few days.
With an ongoing investigation, Irvine police are reaching out to the community for any pertinent information. Detective David Misko has been assigned to the case, available at (949)724-7168 for calls or [email protected] for email contacts.
