A 36-year-old man was charged Monday, July 27, with killing his mother in a Laguna Beach home last week, with prosecutors accusing him of using a hammer to bludgeon her to death.
Safford James Wolfson was charged with one count of murder in the death of 61-year-old Angela Caprioli, according to court records.
Wolfson appeared remotely, along with his attorney, for a brief arraignment hearing on Monday afternoon in the Newport Beach courtroom of Orange County Superior Court Judge Maria D. Hernandez.
Wolfson was still in the ICU at Mission Hospital, his attorney, Brian Gurwitz, told the judge from Wolfson’s bedside.
Wolfson had self-inflicted injuries to his neck when officers arrived at the home in the 1300 block of Dunning Drive about 11 a.m. on July 20, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said.
Bearded and with long hair, Wolfson appeared to be laying in a hospital bed. He appeared alert, telling the judge, “Ah, yes, ma’am” when asked if he could hear what was going on in the courtroom.
Gurwitz acknowledged to the judge that Laguna Beach officers were present at the hospital. The judge formally ordered that the Orange County Sheriff’s Department take over responsibility for him while he awaits trial.
Wolfson did not enter a plea.
Judge Hernandez set his bail at $1 million, despite the prosecutors’ request for no bail. Wolfson’s next court appearance was scheduled for Oct. 1, when he will once again face an arraignment, when charges are formally read or waived and a plea can be given, as well as a bail-review hearing.
Caprioli was found dead inside the home in the 1300 block of Dunning Drive on the morning of July 20, police said. Wolfson was initially named a person of interest, with police later announcing his arrest, on Thursday, July 23.
Wolfson’s grandmother had summoned officers to the home after entering and finding broken furniture and blood everywhere, the District Attorney’s Office said.
Wolfson was found covered in blood on the floor, while Caprioli was in a bedroom with severe injuries to the head and face.
“It is heartbreaking that someone could so violently end the life of the very person who gave them life,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement. “We will continue to pursue justice for Ms. Caprioli and everyone who love her.”
No possible motive for the attack had been released by authorities.
Neighbors of the Laguna Beach home said they believed Wolfson had been living there for about six months and had caretakers visit the house frequently, CBS Los Angeles reported. One neighbor said his mother, a resident of Maine, had arrived within a week before her death to drop off a TV and other items.