Hayward Man Charged With Murder

HAYWARD, CA — A Hayward man was charged with murder today for allegedly fatally stabbing his neighbor at a small apartment complex on Saturday night, prosecutors said.

Raymond Jimenez, 45, is scheduled to be arraigned in Alameda County Superior Court in Dublin this afternoon in connection with the stabbing of 28-year-old Jesse Martinez of Hayward at the four-unit complex in the 22000 block of Happyland Avenue shortly before 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

Martinez was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after officers responded and found him suffering from an apparent stabbing wound.

Witnesses told police that Jimenez and Martinez were drinking in the common driveway of the complex when they got into an argument, Hayward police Detective Trevor Vonnegut wrote in a probable cause statement.
The two men then got into a physical altercation but no one appeared to be injured and the two men went toward their respective residences, according to Vonnegut.

About 5 or 10 minutes later, however, the two men got into another argument and began to fight again, Vonnegut wrote.

Witnesses said that during the second fight they began to see Martinez bleed and then take two steps and collapse because of a stab wound to his chest, Vonnegut wrote.

Jimenez walked away and went to his unit, according to Vonnegut.

After responding officers arrested Jimenez and read him his Miranda rights, he admitted to being involved in a fight with Martinez but said he didn't stab Martinez and doesn't know how Martinez was stabbed after
the two men fought, Vonnegut wrote.

Officers who obtained a warrant and searched Jimenez's unit found several knives there and are testing them to see if they were used in the fatal stabbing, according to Vonnegut.

Jimenez, who listed his occupation as stump grinder when he was booked, is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.

— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock