Crime & Safety
Suspect Pleads 'Not Guilty' For Slaying His Brother In Menifee
Abisola Afuwape, 30, of Menifee, accused of killing his brother, Abiodun, claims he is not responsible.
MENIFEE, CA — A convicted felon accused of fatally stabbing his older brother during a confrontation at their Menifee home pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder and other offenses.
Abisola Afuwape, 30, was arrested last month following an investigation by the Menifee Police Department into the slaying of 33-year-old Abiodun Afuwape.
Along with the murder count, the defendant is charged with a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a knife in the commission of a felony.
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Afuwape was arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Elaine Kiefer, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Jan. 11 at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.
Afuwape is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
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According to Capt. Dave Gutierrez of the Menifee Police Department, the defendant allegedly attacked his older sibling in the predawn hours of Oct. 7 in the 28200 block of Serenity Falls Way, near Bankside Drive.
Gutierrez said 911 dispatchers received a report of a suicide, with the caller stating that the victim required life-saving treatment. Patrol officers and county fire paramedics reached the location within minutes and found Abiodun Afuwape suffering "significant trauma to his upper body, inconsistent with a suicide," according to Gutierrez.
Paramedics attempted to resuscitate him, but the victim succumbed to his injuries at the residence, the captain said.
Homicide detectives were summoned and took over the investigation. They interviewed the defendant and initially arrested him based on a parole revocation warrant.
"Detectives and crime scene investigators continued their extensive investigation, which included crime scene analysis, evidence analysis, statements and collaboration with the District Attorney's Office," Gutierrez said. "As a result of their investigative efforts, detectives developed probable cause to arrest (Afuwape) for the murder of his brother."
No other details were provided, including a possible motive.
According to court records, Afuwape has prior convictions for receiving stolen property and illegal possession of a firearm.
