Girlfriend charged with murder in stabbing death of former Laguna Beach resident

A 52-year-old Laguna Niguel man with Laguna Beach ties was found stabbed to death in the front yard of a neighbor’s house Saturday night.

Orange County Sheriff’s Department investigators found Richard Begley lying in a yard in the 24800 block of La Vida Drive with a stab wound to his upper chest or shoulder area about 8:40 p.m., according to a news release.

Paramedics tried to revive Begley, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Begley’s live-in girlfriend, Michele Green, was arrested on suspicion of murder and booked into Orange County Jail, the release says. Green, 50, is being held on $1 million bail.

Green and Begley apparently were involved in a domestic dispute that led to the fatal stabbing, but authorities have yet to determine the reason for the dispute or motive for the stabbing, according to investigators.

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A knock at the door; Green faces murder charge

Agostino Pantano lived next door to Green and Begley and heard a knock at his front door Saturday night.

Pantano, 83, peered through a glass window dotted with blood and saw Begley.

“He didn’t say anything,” Pantano said. “I thought he might have had a few drinks. I didn’t open the door.”

Begley walked away from the door and lay on the lawn. Pantano phoned his daughter, wondering what he should do. She called 911.

“I didn’t know he was stabbed,” said Pantano, who waited for police to arrive before opening the door. He saw drops of blood leading from the porch to a concrete path.

Pantano said he didn’t hear any screaming before Begley knocked at his door.

Green lived in the house about 20 years, while Begley has lived there about four years, said Pantano, who said he moved into his home in 1988.

Pantano said he exchanged greetings with Green over the years, but nothing more.

Green has been placed on on paid leave from her job as a first-grade teacher at Greenville Fundamental School in the Santa Ana Unified School District, chief communications officer Deidra Powell said.

Green’s arraignment, which had been scheduled for last Tuesday, was moved to March 10, according to the Orange County Superior Court website.

Green was charged with one felony count of murder with a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a knife, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life in state prison.

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Begley: A fun-loving guy

Friends described Begley as a jovial, fun-loving guy who was quick to show affection.

“If he didn’t see you for a long time, he would come at you with a bear hug,” said Rod Greenup, owner of Costa Azul Surf N’ Paddle in Laguna Beach. “This is a tough loss.”

Greenup said he knew Begley when the two were Laguna Beach High School students, and he attended Begley’s wedding in the early 1990s.

Begley graduated from Laguna Beach High in 1980, Laguna Beach Unified School District communications and human resources director Leisa Winston wrote in an email.

He went on to own a plumbing company called Pipeline Plumbing, Armen Gasparian, a friend since childhood, wrote in an email.

Gasparian, a general contractor who graduated from Laguna Beach High in 1984, said he and Begley worked together on custom homes.

“I loved that guy,” Greenup, 51, said. “I got a late-night call a while back from him reaching out just to touch base.”

Anyone with additional information about the stabbing is asked to call the Sheriff’s Department at (714) 647-7000 or (714) 647-7044. Anonymous tips may be submitted to Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS (855-847-6227) or occrimestoppers.org.