This afternoon, September 6th, police have stated that a 59-year-old woman in Sylmar has passed away after allegedly being set on fire by her son, P.C. The incident took place on Saturday and she had been in a critical condition ever since. The police had found her in her home and her son was arrested at the scene. He was suspected of the attack and was held on a $1 million dollar bail. As of now, it has still not been determined why he may have been involved in the incident and detectives have not yet released how she was burned.
If her son is implicated in her death, he could be accused of murder. Under the California Penal Code §187 (2011), murder is the“unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, with malice aforethought.” This malice can either be express or implied. Express malice means the individual acted in such a way that they intended to take away the life of the other person. Implied malice means that the circumstances surrounding the case showed an“abandoned and malignant heart.”
What are the penalties for murder? The penalties will differ based on the degree of the conviction. An individual convicted of first degree murder can be given the death sentence or be imprisoned in state prison for life without the possibility of parole. Someone convicted of second degree murder can also be put in prison for life if the victim was a peace officer. It remains to be seen whether or not P.C. will be implicated in this crime and what he will be charged with. If he is facing murder charges, he could not be in a more serious situation. For more information aboutmurder and related charges, please look through our site or contact our office.
