Suspect who murdered Lafayette man with hatchet was in prison for assault in 2020: court records
MARTINEZ, Calif. (KGO) -- The suspect accused of killing a Lafayette resident last Saturday made his court appearance on Wednesday. And the district attorney's office revealed he had a prior conviction.
Court recordsfrom Butte County show the murder suspect has a prior conviction dating back to 2020 when he was sentenced to 2 years for assault with a deadly weapon.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney's office cited the suspect's record in their request to the judge to increase his bail from $1 million.
"That increased the bail to over $2 million," said Ted Asregadoo, PIO Contra Costa Co. District Attorney's office.
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The suspect is accused of the first homicide in Lafayette in 20 years.
The gruesome crime took place on Saturday morning inside an East Bay home where 34-year-old Chris Jaber was killed. Police arrested the suspect shortly afterward in the neighborhood. His arraignment Wednesday was postponed to give his attorney more time to review the case.
The DA's office spoke about the 911 call that alerted authorities over the weekend.
"There was a suspicious person in the backyard of the property. This person was described as a stranger and was holding what appeared to be a hatchet. Shortly after that, that person looked like had gained entrance into an ADU," said Asregadoo.
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A Facebook post from a person with the same name as the suspect appeared to target the victim saying, "If you need the Chaos of the supernatural to end, Chris Jaber 34, AKA the eye resides at 5 Westminster Place, Lafayette. Go with God."
Last week, an updated post said: "can someone please kill this man."
As the investigation continues, the district attorney's office asked the judge to help protect the people who live at the home where the crime took place.
"The judge did issue a protective order. A stay away order to protect the relatives of the victim," said Asregadoo.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney's office claimed this was a targeted attack.
The suspect is set to be arraigned on April 2.
