Glendale man's phone records his fatal stabbing at apartment

Court documents reveal cell phone video captured the moments before a fatal stabbing Saturday night at a Glendale apartment complex in an incident that led to murder charges.

Michael Espinoza Jr., 50, of Glendale, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder in the March 16 death of 49-year-old Glendale resident Ismael Mejias IV, according to court documents. Espinoza was filmed making deadly threats in a cell phone video that Mejias recorded before being stabbed, charging documents show.

At about 9:24 p.m., officers responded to a call about a stabbing at an apartment complex near North 67th and West Maryland avenues, according to court documents. The caller described an argument and "blood everywhere."

Officers found Mejias unresponsive, bleeding with several apparent lacerations to the body and head before he was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later, charging documents detail. Officers found a blood trail from the Mejias' apartment to the Espinoza's residence, including a shoe print leading to Espinoza's front door and what appeared to be blood on the interior and exterior door's handle, court documents show.

After a SWAT team was deployed Espinoza surrendered and was taken into custody. He appeared to have blood on his shoes and a cut to his right palm, according to charging documents. Espinoza also had blood in his hair, his ear, on his body and on a shirt he was wearing underneath a hoodie he put on after the stabbing, the documents mentioned.

On the ground near Espinoza's apartment, officers found Mejias' cell phone, which was still recording, court documents noted. Charging documents show the video recording was of a male whom officers determined was Espinoza arguing with Mejias, the suspect swatting the phone out of the victim's hand and the sounds of a struggle.

"You're dead. You're dead. You're dead, homie. You're dead," Espinoza is heard saying on the recording, according to court documents.

Police found a bloody knife on the other side of a wall near the crime scene and showed it to Espinoza's father, who identified it as a knife from the suspect's kitchen, according to charging documents. Police also found the clothes Espinoza was wearing in the video with blood on them.

Espinoza said the cut to his right hand was from doing dishes, documents mention. He denied he was in an argument, but then said "a guy" yelling racial slurs came at him, according to court documents. Espinoza denied an assault, later saying "a guy" hit him, but he did not strike back before learning there was video and then telling authorities this other person ended up atop him with both on the ground, according to charging documents.

Before invoking his rights to an attorney, Espinoza said he took the knife away from the victim, hit him in the chin with the blade's handle and then threw the weapon away, according to documents. He denied stabbing anyone, but Mejias had cuts to the chin area, court documents noted.

Court documents show Espinoza had been residing at the apartments for three months before the stabbing and that Mejias was a stranger to him. Charging documents also listed the suspect as "mentally disturbed."

As of Thursday, Espinoza was being held on a $750,000 bond, according to court and jail records. His preliminary hearing was slated for March 28, court records show.

This incident took place a day after and a half mile northeast of the March 15 fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Daniel James Santiago. His friend, Robert Leo Williams, 20, was facing murder charges in that case.