Woman Charged with Killing Mother in Covina

A 43-year-old woman has been charged with fatally stabbing her mother at a Covina senior living facility, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced. Athina Sumi Rivera, of Los Angeles has been charged with one count of murder. The felony complaint includes a special allegation that the defendant personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a knife, during the commission of the crime. Rivera is scheduled to be arraigned today in Department F of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Pomona Branch. Prosecutors will ask bail be set at $1.02 million.

On Sept. 7 Rivera was reportedly staying the night in her mother’s room at a senior living center in Covina, prosecutors said. During the middle of the night, the defendant allegedly awoke and stabbed her mother, Margaret Yamaguchi, several times, prosecutors said. During the attack, an emergency call was made from the room. When the facility staff, entered the room, they discovered Yamaguchi bleeding. Authorities were called and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Rivera was subsequently arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing. If convicted as charged, the defendant faces a possible maximum sentence of 26 years to life in state prison. The case is being investigated by the Covina Police Department.

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