A 24-year-old Los Angeles man was jailed on suspicion of stabbing his girlfriend at an apartment complex in Chino Hills, with deputies finding him hiding near bushes on the property before taking him into custody armed with a knife. Frederick Cotton now faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon, spousal abuse and contempt of a court order, according to jail records.
Deputies were called to the Missions at Chino Hills, an apartment complex at 3100 Chino Hills Parkway, on a report of a stabbing that occurred at 9:57 p.m., as reported by the Chino Valley Champion. A woman told deputies her boyfriend had stabbed her, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Gloria Orejel, and she was transported to the hospital. The 240-unit complex sits near the 71 Freeway, according to property information about the community.
Charges Carry Potential Felony Exposure
Cotton was booked at $500,000 bail at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, per jail records cited by the Champion. The facility, which opened in 1991 and holds a bed capacity of 3,347, processes between 50,000 and 60,000 bookings and releases a year and conducts remote video court proceedings for county courts, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Cotton is scheduled to appear in court Monday, Oct. 14, jail records show.
Both of the two most serious charges against Cotton are considered “wobbler” offenses under California law, meaning prosecutors can pursue them as either misdemeanors or felonies. Corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant under Penal Code 273.5 is punishable by two, three or four years in state prison and fines up to $6,000, per the Shouse Law Group, and requires proof that physical force resulted in a visible or internal traumatic condition on the victim. Assault with a deadly weapon under Penal Code 245(a)(1) can also be charged as a felony carrying up to four years in prison and counts as a strike under California's Three Strikes Law, according to Eisner Gorin LLP; that charge does not legally require actual physical contact, though an actual stabbing raises the severity of the offense.
Contempt Charge Points to a Prior Court Order
The third charge, contempt of court under Penal Code 166, is a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in county jail and applies when a suspect intentionally disobeys a court order such as a domestic violence protective or stay-away order, per the Sterling Defense.
Chino Hills has not operated its own municipal police department since incorporating in 1991, instead contracting with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department for local police services, which is why sheriff's deputies and spokespeople like Orejel handle arrests in the city. Probation conditions for a domestic-violence conviction can include a 52-week batterer intervention program.
A Rare Violent Crime in a City Known for Safety
Chino Hills was ranked 11th among California's 50 safest cities in a 2019 SafeWise public safety report, underscoring how uncommon violent crimes like this one are in the suburban community.
