Man To Stand Trial For Allegedly Gunning Down Ex-Fiancee In RivCo

RIVERSIDE, CA — A 62-year-old man accused of fatally shooting his ex- girlfriend at her Riverside home must stand trial for murder and a half- dozen other offenses, a judge ruled Thursday.

Paul Buckner Jacobs of Compton is accused of killing 57-year-old Pankaja Venugopal nearly two years ago to the day.

Following a preliminary hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice Thursday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Bernard Schwartz found there was sufficient evidence to bound Jacobs over for trial on the murder count, as well as a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait, burglary, vandalism, witness intimidation, domestic violence, sexual contact with a deceased person and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Dec. 4. Jacobs is being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.

According to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, Jacobs and the victim had been engaged for an unspecified period, but their relationship soured, and they separated.

Railsback said that on the night of Nov. 1, 2022, patrol officers were asked by the woman's son to check on her because he had not been able to reach her.

Officers entered Venugopal's residence in the 11000 block of Trailrun Court, near Collett Avenue, and discovered her dead from a gunshot wound, according to Railsback.

He said that homicide detectives "quickly identified" Jacobs as the alleged perpetrator, culminating in his arrest on Wineville Avenue in Jurupa Valley the following day.

Court papers indicated the defendant and victim were involved in an argument at the time he allegedly killed her. No other details were disclosed, including what happened in the house afterward.

Jacobs has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County