Irvine Woman Charged in Death of Boyfriend

An Irvine woman was charged Monday with murdering her live-in boyfriend, who police said was last seen Dec. 2.

Judy Valot, 41, was arrested Thursday after authorities said they found inconsistencies in her story about the disappearance of 51-year-old Peter Theriault, including a five-day gap between the time she reported him missing, Dec. 7, and the last time he was known to be seen by someone else.

Homicide in Irvine--rated year after year one of the safest in the country--is highly unusual.

“We don’t have too many murders here,” Sgt. Al Murray said.

FBI crime statistics released this week placed Irvine sixth in terms of safety for cities with populations over 100,000. The FBI figures list no homicides in Irvine in 1996 or 1997.

Irvine police investigator Larry Montgomery said that in studying the missing-person report, police found information “that was conflicting in nature to what Judy Valot had originally reported to police.”

Police and the district attorney’s office declined to say more about the case against Valot.

Valot is being held without bail. She is scheduled to appear in court again Dec. 23 to enter a plea.