A transient accused of shoving his girlfriend in front of a train in west Riverside, causing her to be struck and killed, pleaded not guilty Thursday to murder.
Kevin Errol Lewis, 41, was arrested Monday after the alleged attack at the Madison Street crossing, just south of the Riverside (91) Freeway.
Lewis was arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sean Crandell, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for April 25 at the Riverside Hall of Justice and ordered that the defendant be held on $1 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
According to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, about 6:35 a.m. Monday, Lewis was involved in a domestic altercation with the victim, whose identity has not been confirmed, adjacent to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks.
“The preliminary investigation determined Lewis … and the female adult victim were engaged in a verbal argument that became physical, during which Lewis pushed the victim into the moving train, killing her,” Railsback said.
Patrol officers reached the location within minutes and found the woman dead, after which they initiated a search for the defendant, who was quickly located in the area and taken into custody without incident, according to the police spokesman.
Court records show that Lewis has multiple misdemeanor warrants for unresolved cases going back three years. However, he has no documented felony convictions in Riverside County.