A 52-year-old man was charged Friday with murdering his stepfather, who he allegedly attacked with a knife in Lawndale on the Fourth of July, prosecutors said.
Robert Schneider of Van Nuys was allegedly visiting his stepfather’s home on Wednesday when he began stabbing him in his driveway, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
The violence broke out at about 7:50 p.m. in the 4000 block of 159th Street after Schneider and his stepfather were engaged in a verbal argument, according to L.A. County sheriff’s officials.
The 74-year-old victim, whose name has not been released, was stabbed multiple times in the torso area, investigators said. He was then taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Following the attack, Schneider allegedly dropped the knife and walked away from the home. Witnesses called 911 and followed him until he was arrested, prosecutors said.
He was taken into custody several blocks from the crime scene about an hour after the stabbing, according to sheriff’s deputies and inmate records.
A knife was recovered from the scene, detectives said.
Schneider was previously convicted of second-degree robbery in 2017, and Friday’s murder charge resulted in his probation in that case being revoked without bail, according to the DA’s office.
If convicted of murder, the defendant could face up to 56 years to life in state prison.
He was being held on $2 million bail and scheduled to be arraigned on July 23.
Sheriff’s homicide detectives are continuing to investigate the stabbing.