Rancho Bernardo man charged with first degree murder of neighbor

Saldivar, 40, pleaded not guilty when he appeared in Superior Court on Tuesday afternoon for his arraignment. His next court appearance will be Nov. 5 for a status hearing, said Paul Levikow, communications director for the San Diego District Attorney’s office.

Saldivar has been charged with murdering his next door neighbor, Jennifer Lee Jones, in her Rancho Bernardo apartment on Oct. 22. Police arrested Saldivar the following morning.

Levikow said if convicted on the first degree murder charge — enhanced because a knife was used in the crime — Saldivar could spend 26 years to life in prison.

According to Levikow, authorities are not releasing a motive in the case until the preliminary hearing, tentatively set for Nov. 9. In most cases, that date is usually rescheduled so the defense attorney has time to prepare, Levikow added.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner concluded that Jones, 28, died due to multiple stab wounds.

Police arrested Saldivar less than 16 hours after police discovered Jones dead in her locked apartment, according to Lt. Kevin Rooney from the Homicide Unit.

“He lived next door, his front door faces (the victim’s),” Rooney said, adding their entrances were less than 20 feet apart.

The suspect’s and victim’s ground floor apartments are at 15969 Avenida Venusto in The Overlook apartment complex located within the Bernardo Heights neighborhood.

Rooney said Jones probably died between 3:45 and 4 p.m. last Thursday. Neighbors told police they heard screaming in that time frame and immediately prior, Jones was talking on the phone with her mother in Ohio as she walked through the complex’s parking lot, Rooney said.

“The victim’s mother heard a male’s voice, followed by a screeching or yelling sound, before losing contact with her daughter,” Rooney said. “After trying unsuccessfully to reach her daughter, she called San Diego Police.”

Officers were sent to check on Jones at 4:44 p.m. Oct. 22. Upon arrival, they entered her apartment via a master key and found her dead, Rooney said.

“She was stabbed repeatedly (in the torso),” Rooney said, declining to state if the weapon was from the victim’s apartment or brought to the crime scene.

“We believe he forced his way into the apartment,” Rooney added.

Rooney said police were able to narrow the search for a suspect after talking with Jones’ mother on the phone a few hours after her daughter’s murder.

“We got background information on her daughter, what was going on in her life and the conversation she overheard (before the murder),” Rooney said. “That detail enabled us to focus in on a suspect.”

Rooney said there was no relationship between Jones and Saldivar “other than that as acquaintances that many neighbors have.”

Saldivar, whom Rooney said is unemployed, lived at the complex with his wife and two children. They had lived there for a few months, according to Rooney.

Jones, who was single and a design engineer, moved to The Overlook 2 1/2 years ago, Rooney said.

According to Rooney, police first made contact with the suspect around 10 p.m. on Oct. 22.

“He was in his car with his family in the apartment complex parking lot just west of where we were investigating,” Rooney said. “We started talking to him and his wife and developed a little more information (for the investigation).”

Rooney said Jones’ relatives, who came to San Diego following her death, do not want to talk to the media nor release details about her funeral services.