Son Confesses To Stabbing Mom To Death In Orange County: Police

ORANGE COUNTY, CA -- The son of a woman who was found stabbed to death in a condominium the pair shared in Garden Grove is behind bars after confessing to the slaying, police say.

The suspect's mother, Vivian Wolff, 62, was found dead about 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6 inside a room she was renting and sharing with her son in a condominium in the 14000 block of Flower Street. She was last seen alive at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, according to Garden Grove police Lt. Carl Whitney.

There were no signs of a break-in, according to Whitney, who said a family friend found the body and called police. The victim had apparently been dead for about 24 hours, he said.

Police were looking for Warner, who had not been seen since Friday, Aug. 2 and was considered a ``person of interest'' in the killing, Whitney said.

A witness spotted Jonathan Warner, 28, walking near the intersection of College Avenue and Ninth Street about 1:45 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8 and contacted police.

When officers arrived and attempted to speak with Warner, he assaulted an officer, Whitney, and ran away but was taken into custody after a short chase. He was then interrogated by detectives and confessed to killing his mother, Whitney said.

He was being held without bail at the Orange County jail and was due in court Monday, Aug. 12, according to Orange County Sheriff's Department jail records.

Anyone with information on the crime is urged to call Garden Grove police at (714) 741-5786 or (714) 741-5810.

City News Service contributed to this report.