Deadly Home Invasion In Murrieta Leads To Town Hall Meeting

MURRIETA, CA — The city of Murrieta is holding a Town Hall meeting this week to discuss an alleged home break-in of a local couple that left one dead and the other wounded.

The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, at Murrieta City Hall, 1 Town Square.

"This meeting will provide an opportunity for residents, particularly those in the Country Walk neighborhood and surrounding areas, to hear directly from Mayor Warren, District Council Member, Police Department, and City Leadership," according to the public notice sent out Monday afternoon. "Attendees have the chance to ask questions and share concerns regarding public safety.

"Our goal is to ensure open communication, transparency, and collaboration as we continue working together to keep Murrieta a safe place to live," the notice continued.

The meeting follows the arrest last week of Manuel Arturo Alvarez, 36, of Modesto. He was charged Friday with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and two felony enhancements of use of deadly and dangerous weapon(s), two misdemeanor enhancements of exhibiting a deadly weapon not in self-defense, and a misdemeanor enhancement of willful resist/delay/obstruction, according to court records.

Alvarez is currently being held on $2 million bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside and is due to appear in court on Tuesday, jail records show.

According to the Murrieta Police Department, shortly before 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, a 911 call was received from a residence on Old Spring Road in the Country Walk neighborhood. The tract home area, which backs up to a greenbelt, is located off Murrieta Hot Springs Road, just east of Interstate 215.

A woman reported that someone she didn't know entered her home and attacked both her and her husband. The woman said she was stabbed in the head with a screwdriver, while her 70-year-old husband was stabbed with a knife.

The woman told 911 her husband appeared to be dead and that the barefoot suspect had fled out her back door.

When first responders arrived at the home, they confirmed her husband's death. News outlet KCRA identified the couple as Bob Brink and Cynthia Polsgrove.

A search for the suspect was immediately launched, and, just before 9 a.m. that same day, a man matching the suspect's description was found in a ravine behind a nearby home on Wild Flower Drive, police reported.

The suspect, later identified as Alvarez, failed to comply with officers’ commands and concealed himself in nearby bushes, according to police.

A police K-9 was ultimately used to help apprehend Alvarez.

It's unclear what, if any, evidence was found on Alvarez that might have linked him to the alleged attack. A possible motive for the violence was not disclosed.

Alvarez has no documented criminal history in Riverside County, according to court records.

The woman who survived the attack was treated at a local hospital for her injuries and was listed in stable condition, police said.