Oxygen
Asian Woman Stabbed In California After Suspect Was Released From Jail Because Of COVID Pandemic Restrictions
A transient girl accused in a deadly knifing of an Asian girl in California on Saturday was jailed days earlier on assault fees however had been freed with out bail due to COVID-19 restrictions, authorities mentioned. Darlene Stephanie Montoya, 23, allegedly stabbed 64-year-old Ke Chieh Meng to demise as she walked her two canines in Riverside, California on April 3. Meng was discovered with a number of stab wounds in her stomach space within the metropolis’s La Sierra neighborhood round 7:30 a.m. She was rushed to hospital the place she later died. Meng lived within the neighborhood, in line with police. After she didn’t return house, her household canvassed the world and finally stumbled upon the crime scene after they noticed the police within the space. “The household began going out in search of her as a result of she hadn’t returned again,” Officer Ryan J. Railsback instructed Oxygen.com on Monday. Montoya, who allegedly fled the world, was arrested close by after neighbors reported her for appearing suspiciously and loitering. Police don’t suspect the lethal stabbing was a hate crime and that Montoya “randomly confronted” Meng whereas she was on her stroll. “Our detectives, after interviewing the suspect and going via all of the proof, and every little thing, they’ve discovered nothing to recommend that the sufferer was focused strictly for her ethnicity,” Railsback mentioned. Meng’s demise follows an increase in hate crimes focusing on Asians within the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Final month, a white gunman massacred eight individuals, primarily of Asian descent, at a trio of therapeutic massage parlors within the Atlanta space. Meng was planning to go to a not too long ago welcomed grandchild, her son mentioned in a GoFundMe web page created within the wake of her demise. “She was so excited to be a grandmother, so excited to observe me change into a dad, so excited to retire, and most significantly, lastly dwell out her American dream as effectively,” Yi (James) Bai wrote. “She was supposed to go to me in Might, now that she has lastly obtained her COVID Vaccine, however now she is going to by no means give you the option to take action.” Officers, who didn’t specify an actual motive within the knife assault, mentioned Montoya is experiencing homelessness. “We consider the suspect did what she did, and dedicated this homicide, her psychological well being points and her substance abuse points most likely have one thing to do with it,” Railsback mentioned. Montoya was arrested on suspicion of homicide, utilizing a weapon through the fee of a felony, and being beneath the affect of an unlawful substance. She hasn’t been formally charged. Montoya has an alleged historical past of “violent” habits, authorities mentioned. On March 30, she was arrested for attacking a separate particular person along with her skateboard close to a shopping mall, in line with regulation enforcement. “We discovered her, we arrested her, we booked her into jail,” Railsback defined. That incident occurred just a few miles away from the place Meng was killed; police confirmed the sufferer within the incident wasn’t Asian. Montoya was charged with assault with a lethal weapon, nevertheless, she was finally launched with a quotation due to the scenario throughout the jail. “It is a horrible tragedy that ought to have by no means occurred,” Railsback added. “These present bail schedules — directed by the state and set by courts — due to the COVID pandemic, she was launched on a quotation from jail. If we weren’t beneath these particular guidelines for the bail schedule proper now there’s most likely an excellent probability the suspect would nonetheless be in custody … and wouldn’t have had the chance to commit violence towards anybody else. It’s tragic any means you take a look at it.” Montoya was booked into Robert Presley Detention Heart in Riverside on April 3, in line with on-line jail data. She’s being held with out bail.
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