Winchester Man Charged With Murder In CHP Sergeant's I-15 Death

MURRIETA, CA — A Winchester man accused of hitting and killing a California Highway Patrol sergeant on Interstate 15 in Lake Elsinore over the weekend has been charged with second-degree murder. The Riverside County District Attorney's Office says Michael Joseph Callahan faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted as charged in connection to the death of CHP Sgt. Steve Licon.

Callahan, 36, appeared on Wednesday before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Stephen Gallon and pleaded not guilty. He remains in custody at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside in lieu of $1 million bail pending a felony settlement conference for May 16 at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

Licon, 53, of Perris, was conducting traffic enforcement on his CHP motorcycle about 4:25 p.m. Saturday when he was fatally struck on southbound Interstate 15, about 1.5 miles north of Nichols Road in Lake Elsinore, according to the CHP.

That's when Callahan slammed into the lawman, his bike and the Chrysler, investigators said.

The gravely injured victim, who had served 28 years with the Highway Patrol, was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar, where he died less than an hour later. The family of four in the Chrysler was not hurt.

Callahan was treated for minor injuries and booked into the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside where he is being held without bail. Prosecutors contend he was drunk at the time of the crash, although they declined to reveal his level of intoxication.

"During the subsequent investigation, it was determined that the defendant was driving under the
influence of alcohol when he struck Sgt. Licon," the DA's news release said. "The DA’s Office will not be releasing any details as to the alleged level of intoxication at this time."

According to the District Attorney's Office, he was convicted of misdemeanor DUI in Orange County in 2004, when he was placed on probation and ordered to attend classes in which he was "educated about the dangers of drinking and driving."

Licon, who had previously held positions in the Baldwin Park and Santa Ana CHP offices, is survived by his wife, Ann, daughter Marissa and stepdaughter Kelly. He had been assigned to the Riverside CHP office since 2013, according to the agency.

The California Association of Highway Patrolmen Credit Union is accepting donations online at https://www.cahpcu.org/SergeantSteveLiconMemorialFund, or at the following address: Sergeant Steve Licon Memorial Fund, CAHP Credit Union, P.O. Box 276507, Sacramento, CA 95827-6507.

— City News Service contributed to this report