Crime & Safety
Man Charged In Lakeland Village Killing Pleads Not Guilty
Celestine John Stoot Jr., 42, allegedly killed 43-year-old Natasha Denise Barlow and fled to Las Vegas with their 2-year-old son.
LAKE ELSINORE, CA — A convicted felon from Lake Elsinore accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend and then fleeing to Las Vegas, where he was apprehended holding his and the victim's 2-year-old son, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to murder.
Celestine John Stoot Jr., 42, allegedly killed 43-year-old Natasha Denise Barlow of San Jacinto last month.
Along with murder, Stoot is charged with child cruelty, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
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The defendant was arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Judith Clark, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Oct. 15 at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.
Stoot is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
On the morning of July 4, the defendant got into a domestic dispute with Barlow, culminating in his allegedly gunning her down and snatching their son, also named Celestine, from a residence in the 17000 block of Hayes Avenue in Lakeland Village, according to Sgt. Deanna Pecoraro of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
She said patrol deputies were called to the location hours later and found the victim dead.
Detectives immediately identified Stoot as the alleged assailant and suspected that he had fled with his son, but no one was certain where, according to Pecoraro.
A statewide Amber Alert was issued, asking the public to be on the lookout for the felon and child.
Authorities captured Stoot with his son in Las Vegas the following afternoon. The fugitive was taken into custody without incident, and the boy, who was unharmed, was immediately returned to Southern California, where he was placed in the care of loved ones.
Stoot was initially booked into the Clark County Detention Center in Nevada, where he remained until retrieved by Riverside County law enforcement personnel and transported to Riverside on July 25.
According to court records, he has prior convictions for gun assault, domestic violence and witness intimidation.
