Wildomar Man Pleads Guilt In Mother's Death, 2nd Degree Murder

WILDOMAR, CA — A man who fatally stabbed his 64-year-old mother at her Wildomar home pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder and other charges.

Evan Jon Zavala, 25, admitted the murder count and a sentence- enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon during a felony just as his case was called for a preliminary hearing at the Southwest Justice Center.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge John Monterosso scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 2 at the Murrieta courthouse.

Zavala, who is being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center, is expected to receive 15 years to life in state prison.

According to sheriff's Sgt. Lance Stoyer, just before 10 p.m. on April 23, 2024, patrol deputies were called to the victim's residence in the 33000 block of Breckenridge Trail, near Gafford Road, to investigate reports of an assault.

Stoyer said that when deputies arrived, they found Zavala's mother, identified only by the initials R.Z., "suffering from stab wounds."

The victim was taken to nearby Inland Valley Medical Center, where she died a short time later.

Zavala was taken into custody without incident at the property.

A possible motive for the attack wasn't provided at the time, and there was no mention of it in court filings afterward. The preliminary hearing may have shed some light on specifically what transpired in the home.

Zavala had no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.