Camp Pendleton Marine Arrested In Estranged Wife's Shooting

LAGUNA HILLS (CBSLA) – Orange County Sheriff's investigators have arrested a 26-year-old United States Marine suspected of fatally shooting his estranged wife, officials said Friday.

Sheriff's deputies at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday were dispatched to the 25000 block of Via Lomas for a welfare check when they found the 23-year-old woman with multiple gunshot wounds, according to sheriff's officials.

The victim - a mother of three - was pronounced dead at the scene.

Jerel Boykins, a United States Marine, was detained by Marine Corps NCIS at Camp Pendleton a short time after deputies found the woman. He subsequently was arrested early Friday morning by Orange County Sheriff's Department investigators on suspicion of murder.

Boykins, 26, of Laguna Hills, was booked into the Orange County Jail, and is being held on $1 million bail. He is expected to appear in court on Monday.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Department at 714-647-7000.