A 19-year-old man has been charged with fatally stabbing another man who tried to detain him after he showed up to a Long Beach home in violation of a restraining order, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Signal Hill resident Edson Eduardo Rufino pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of murder, assault with a deadly weapon, contempt of court and resisting arrest in the April 2 attack, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
Rufino allegedly violated a domestic violence restraining order by visiting his ex-girlfriend at her mother’s home on the 400 block of East 21st Street. And, he wound up killing Leandro Maza after fleeing into a neighboring home, the DA’s office said.
Police previously described Maza as a 29-year-old Long Beach man, but coroner’s records indicate he was 31 years old.
According to Argentine news site Marca Informativa, Maza was from Mar del Plata, Argentina, and came to the U.S. to propose to his girlfriend. When the pair and Maza’s father were prevented from returning home due to coronavirus restrictions, the group stayed with people they knew in Long Beach.
The day the violence broke out, officials say someone called 911 around 8:45 p.m. to report Rufino was threatening his ex’s brother and another person with a knife.
The defendant fled into a neighboring home, where Maza tried to keep him detained until police could respond, prosecutors said.
Rufino allegedly stabbed Maza to death while trying to force his way out of the home, the DA’s office said.
The defendant could face up to life in state prison if convicted as charged.
He was being held on $2 million bail and was scheduled to return to court on May 12, officials said.
Long Beach police are continuing to investigate the case.
