Orange Man Jailed in Woman’s Fatal Stabbing

An Orange man was held Friday in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 23-year-old woman who was found lying on a street in Stanton, the Sheriff’s Department said.

Robert William Fordham, 28, was arrested in Garden Grove late Thursday night, shortly after the victim, Kimberly Michele Mims, was discovered. She had been stabbed at least twice in the upper torso, said Lt. Dan Martini.

“Fordham and the victim appear to have been involved in an arrangement of solicitation for prostitution at the time of the homicide,” Martini said.

Mims, who authorities said had been a transient for at least two years, had an arrest earlier this year for solicitation for prostitution in Los Angeles County, Martini said.

Sheriff’s deputies were called to the area of Lessue and Stanton avenues at 11:55 p.m. to respond to a report of someone hit by a car. Deputies found Mims in the street. She was treated by paramedics, then taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange where she was pronounced dead, Martini said.

Witnesses told investigators that they had seen a light-colored Toyota with damage to the front end crash through an oleander hedge on the side of the street. The car was then seen speeding southbound on Stanton Avenue.

“It appears that there was some confusion initially on the part of witnesses who thought the car had hit the woman,” Martini said.

A short time later, a Garden Grove police officer stopped a white 1980 Toyota Cressida on Chapman Avenue east of Brookhurst Street. The car was traveling with a flat left front tire and had damage to the front end, Martini said.

“There had been no broadcast, so the officer had not made any connection to the Stanton incident,” Martini said. “But he made the stop and observed that the suspect had blood on his clothing. He put out a broadcast and a link was made.”

Martini said “further investigation and evidence” linked Fordman to Mims.

Fordham was arrested at the scene without incident. He is being held at Orange County Jail on suspicion of murder.