Man In Custody For Alleged Fatal Stabbing Of Roommate In Bathtub At SF Valley Apartment

NORTHRIDGE, CA – A 20-year-old man was in custody today on suspicion of fatally stabbing his roommate, whose body was found in a bathtub in the Northridge apartment they shared, police reported.

Lopez Ochoa is suspected of attacking 19-year-old Adrian Anthony Ortiz in their first-floor unit in the 18000 block of Roscoe Boulevard.

Officers sent to the apartment about 2:45 p.m. Thursday found Ortiz "lying in a bathtub unconscious and not breathing," suffering from multiple puncture wounds, and he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, according to a Los Angeles Police Department statement.

A second roommate, identified as 26-year-old Johnny Hernandez, was arrested Thursday afternoon on suspicion of being an accessory to murder after the fact. Hernandez allegedly "arrived home and assisted in altering the crime scene," according to the LAPD.

No information has been released regarding how long after Ortiz was attacked that his body was found or if he was stabbed while taking a bath, as initially reported by police.

The LAPD also initially reported that the attack appeared to have been gang-related, but no details about what specifically led to the killing have since been released.

Ochoa's booking information was not immediately available, but Hernandez was booked into the Valley Jail in Van Nuys just after 4 this morning, with bail set at $1.24 million, according to the sheriff's department.

• Also see: Man Arrested After SF Valley Standoff Abandons Appeal

Previous apartment stabbing coverage:

• Police Suspect Roommate In Stabbing Death In Northridge Apartment
• Man Stabbed To Death Taking Bath At Northridge Apartment: Police

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