Man accused of murdering another with a hammer in Costa Mesa pleads not guilty
Ivan Chernev Dimov
A Costa Mesa man accused of beating another man to death in November with a hammer-hatchet pleaded not guilty to a murder charge Monday in Orange County Superior Court.
Ivan Chernev Dimov, 51, also denied a sentencing enhancement allegation of personally using a deadly weapon, according to court records.
Dimov, who neighbors said is married with three children, could face 26 years to life in prison if convicted, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.
Dimov is charged in the Nov. 2 slaying of Kyle Avila, 53, who was found dead in a parking area next to the Monticello condominium complex in the 2300 block of Vanguard Way, where Dimov lived.
A police officer arrested Dimovnearby after a brief foot pursuit, using a Taser to subdue him, police said.
Police and a witness said Avila was in his Scion when he was beaten by a man standing outside the car. Officers found a weapon in the vehicle that might have been used in the killing, police said.
Andrea Garland, a longtime friend of Avila’s, told the Daily Pilot in November that Avila had been in the Monticello community in the days before the attack helping his girlfriend move into a condominium.
Avila was killed as he was getting into his car to go to work at Orange Courier, a messenger and delivery service in Santa Ana, said Garland, who said she worked with Avila at the company for about 10 years.
Investigators have said the attack likely was random.
A neighbor of Dimov’s who would identify herself only as Kathy told the Daily Pilot last month that she had spoken often with Dimov about mental-health issues he said he had suffered over the past year. She said Dimov said he had undergone medical testing.
Dimov remained in Orange County Jail on Tuesday with bail set at $1 million.
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
