Man Accused of Running Over Girlfriend in San Clemente
Orange County sheriff’s deputies arrested a man Sunday who allegedly killed his 37-year-old girlfriend by running over her with his pickup during an argument in a San Clemente supermarket parking lot.
Russell James McKinney, 41, faces charges of murder and parole violation in the death of Becky Underhill of Lucerne Valley in San Bernardino County. She died later at a hospital.
Sheriff’s deputies had been called out in recent weeks to break up a dispute between the couple, sheriff’s spokesman Jon Fleischman said.
Witnesses told deputies that during the argument at the Albertsons at Avenida Pico and Avenida Presidio on Saturday, McKinney purposely ran over Underhill with his 1989 Ford and took off, Fleischman said.
Deputies arrested McKinney on Sunday afternoon in Victorville, where he lived, after receiving a tip. He is being held at Orange County Jail. McKinney was on parole after being released from prison in January and has a lengthy criminal record involving drug, alcohol and theft offenses, Fleischman said.
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