RivCo Woman Accused of Lake Elsinore Stabbing Pleads Not Guilty

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA -- A convicted felon accused of fatally stabbing a 32-year-old trucker parked alongside Interstate 15 in Lake Elsinore pleaded not guilty to murder on Friday.

Vanessa Michelle Ruvalcaba, 23, of Riverside was arrested on April 20 after allegedly killing Hosbaldo Davila Jr. of San Bernardino. She was arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Stephen Gallon and is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the alleged attack happened about 7 a.m. on April 20, along the shoulder of southbound I-15, near Main Street.

Ruvalcaba was in the cab of the truck, which did not have a trailer attached, when she stabbed the victim, Officer Mike Lassig alleged.

He said that witnesses saw the defendant running away from the rig and became suspicious that she had committed a crime, prompting several calls to 911.

CHP officers and Riverside County sheriff's deputies arrived within a couple of minutes and detained Ruvalcaba not far from the truck, according to Lassig.

Davila was found inside the vehicle, unconscious and severely wounded, Lassig said. Paramedics pronounced him dead minutes later.

A possible motive for the attack was not disclosed, and it was unclear whether the victim and defendant knew one another.

According to court records, Ruvalcaba has a prior conviction for burglary, resulting in a three-year sentence of probation.

City News Service contributed to this report.