Paroled defendant accused of killing Walmart employee in Lake Elsinore pleads not guilty

The man accused of stabbing a 65-year-old Walmart employee to death in Lake Elsinore pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder on Friday.

In addition to murder, 29-year-old Lonnie Hinton is charged with lying in wait under special circumstances, use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a crime and probation violations.

Early in the morning of August 5, Hinton allegedly confronted Jessica Morales at the Supercenter, pulled out a knife and stabbed herwithout any reason.

According to police, Hinton had only been released from prison this year and was currently on probation.

“Homicide investigators believe this was a random shooting and that there was no interaction between Hinton and the victim prior to the murder,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

According to police, Hinton entered the Lake Elsinore police station a few hours after the alleged attack and turned himself in without incident before investigators could begin their manhunt for the suspect.

According to court records, Hinton has previous convictions for robbery, theft and burglary. Hinton is being held without bail

Morales’ family members started a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of her three adult children to help with the costs of the memorial. “She was kind, generous and loving to everyone she met,” the campaign’s website states.