A woman stabbed and killed her ex-boyfriend early Saturday after he forced his way into her Arleta home and attacked her, Los Angeles police said — an encounter detectives are treating as a possible act of self-defense.
What police say happened
Officers from the LAPD's Foothill Division were called around 3:30 a.m. to the 9200 block of Nagle Avenue, in the northeast San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Arleta, according to ABC7. A 22-year-old woman had called 911 to report that she stabbed her ex-boyfriend after he broke in through a window and physically assaulted her, the department said.
The man, whom police identified as 23-year-old Ruben Valle, was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman was taken to a hospital with what the LAPD described as multiple blunt-force injuries — consistent, investigators said, with her account of being attacked before she defended herself. She was not arrested.
A possible justifiable homicide
Detectives are investigating the case as a justifiable homicide and said they believe it was an isolated incident, according to the LAPD. Under California law, a person may use force — including deadly force — to defend against an imminent threat of death or serious injury in their home.
Police did not release details about the prior relationship between the two, and the Herald is not naming the woman, who has not been publicly identified or charged. The investigation remains open.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233 (TTY 1-800-787-3224).
