Witness Links Prince to Attempted Burglary

A Scripps Ranch man testified Monday that accused serial killer Cleophus Prince Jr. was attempting to break into the apartment of a woman neighbor who was preparing to shower after returning from the Family Fitness Center.

Jeff Pich, testifying in the third week of Prince’s preliminary hearing, identified Prince as the man attempting to enter Geralynd Peters’ apartment the morning of Feb. 3, 1991.

“I had a very bad feeling about this,” Pich said under cross-examination by defense attorney Loren Mandel.

Pich testified that he told a police officer that he thought the man at the apartment was linked to the well-publicized series of murders in and around Clairemont.

“I believed that he might be” the Clairemont serial killer, and the composite drawing released by police “did resemble him, in my opinion,” Pich said.

Although Prince does not resemble the composite picture circulated by police, Pich said he has “no doubt” that Prince is the man he closely examined outside the woman’s apartment.

Prince was arrested the day after the attempted burglary. Investigators have said Prince became a prime suspect in the Clairemont killer series when they noticed similarities between the killings and the attempted break-in.

Peters, who has since married and taken a new surname, also testified Monday. Although she could not positively identify Prince as the man who attempted to enter her apartment, she did see the same man the day after the attempted burglary.

Peters said the man dropped off a co-worker named Charla. Prince’s girlfriend, Charla Lewis, worked with Peters at a Mira Mesa business.

Peters said that she had returned to her home after working out at the Mira Mesa Family Fitness Center and was preparing to shower when she heard noises at her door. She got dressed, ran out a back door and later brought Pich to confront the man at her front door.

Investigators believe that Prince followed several murder victims from the health club to their homes.

Court will not be in session today. Testimony will resume Wednesday.