Crime & Safety
Marine Charged In Wife's Laguna Hills Murder
A highly decorated U.S. Marine is being held on $1 million dollars bail and has been charged with his estranged wife's murder.
LAGUNA HILLS, CA — Murder charges were filed against the highly decorated 26-year-old United States Marine who is accused of killing his estranged wife at her Laguna Hills apartment last week.
Jerel Boykins is being held in lieu of $1 million bail and was due in a Santa Ana courtroom Monday for arraignment on the murder count, along with a sentencing enhancement allegation of the fatal discharge of a gun.
Deputies were sent about 2:30 p.m. Thursday to check on Boykins' 23-year- old estranged spouse, Yahaira, in the 25000 block of Via Lomas and found her dead of multiple gunshot wounds, according to sheriff's department spokeswoman Jaimee Blashaw.
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Friends said the victim had three young children, two of them fathered by Boykins, who was arrested at the Camp Pendleton Marine base a short time after her body was found.
The couple had split up about six months ago.
Find out what's happening in Orange Countyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Orange County Sheriff's Department photo
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