Parolee charged in death of Walmart employee in Lake Elsinore makes first court appearance

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (KABC) -- A parolee accused of fatally stabbing a Walmart employee at a Lake Elsinore store made his first court appearance Thursday.

Lonnie Will Hinton III, 29, was charged with first-degree murder earlier this week for allegedly killing Jessica Morales, 65, in an apparent random attack.

Along with murder, Hinton is charged with a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait, a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony and parole violations. He pleaded not guilty and his bail hearing was set for next week.

Deputies responded Monday morning to a Walmart store in the 29000 block of Central Avenue after a report of an assault with a deadly weapon. Deputies provided medical aid to Morales, but she was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities said Hinton fled the store after the stabbing but later turned himself in at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station.

Investigators described the attack as a "random event," saying there was no interaction between Hinton and Morales before the stabbing.

In 2021, Hinton pleaded guilty to felony robbery and misdemeanor petty theft charges, according to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. He was sentenced to five years in prison and was released on parole earlier this year.

The defendant is being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center. If convicted as charged, he faces a potential life sentence.

City News Service contributed to this report.