A 25-year-old Anaheim man, who was previously convicted of attempting to crash through the gates of unscripted TV star Kylie Jenner’s home in Calabasas, was in court Thursday on two counts of murder that could make him eligible for the death penalty.
Marvin Magallanes was charged Monday with murder with special circumstance allegations of multiple murders. He is also facing two sentencing enhancement allegations of the personal use of a deadly weapon.
Magallanes’ arraignment was continued until Friday.
Magallanes is accused of fatally stabbing 52-year-old Onosai Tavita and 49-year-old Sabah Alsaad, both of whom were homeless, according to Anaheim police Sgt. Daron Wyatt.
Tavita was stabbed to death about 2 a.m., Oct. 27, at 990 S. Euclid St., Wyatt said. He was sleeping behind a restaurant there when he was attacked, Wyatt said.
Alsaad was sleeping on a bus bench at 1200 S. Magnolia St. about 2:15 a.m., Jan. 27, when he was stabbed to death, Wyatt said.
About two weeks ago, police developed forensic evidence that pointed to one suspect, Wyatt said. Then, last Thursday night, Magallanes walked into the Anaheim police station and allegedly said he wished to confess to murder, Wyatt said.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Eric Scarbrough said investigators were aided by a new mobile DNA lab that matched the defendant to the crimes while he was still being questioned by detectives.
“While he’s being interviewed by the detectives they get a swab of his DNA and utilize the rapid-DNA” system, Scarbrough said. “During that interview they are notified they get a hit.”
Before Magallanes surrendered to police investigators had evidence from the crime scenes that matched one suspect, the prosecutor said.
It is the third multiple-murder case in Anaheim over the past five years.
Itzcoatl “Izzy” Ocampo was charged with killing four transients and two others, but took his own life in jail in November 2013, before he went to trial.
Steven Dean Gordon was sentenced to death in February for his part in the killing of four prostitutes. Police believe there was a fifth victim.
Gordon’s co-defendant, Franc Cano, is awaiting trial.
On March 28 and April 13 of last year, Magallanes drove up to the Hidden Hills home of Kylie Jenner and told security guards he was there to see the unscripted TV star, said Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
When he was denied entry both times he tried to drive through the wood security gate arm, cracking it, Santiago said.
Magallanes pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vandalism on Oct. 26 and was sentenced to 10 days in county jail and placed on summary probation for a year, Santiago said.
— City News Service