Trial ordered for son accused of fatally stabbing mother in Clairemont Mesa

A San Diego Police cruiser Photo courtesy of SDPD A man accused of fatally stabbing his mother at their Clairemont Mesa apartment was ordered Monday to stand trial for murder Jamal Aytes is accused in the death of -year-old Jacqueline Aytes who was killed at the apartment they shared on Mesa College Drive According to testimony from a preliminary hearing held Monday the victim sustained stab or incise wounds to both the front and back of her head torso arms and legs Police were initially called by Jamal Aytes just after p m Sept just hours before police uncovered his mother dead Jamal Aytes had described police his mother was having a mental breakdown and had threatened him with a butter knife SDPD Lt Jud Campbell mentioned Officers responded to the apartment but concluded after an evaluation of Jacqueline Aytes that she did not meet the criteria for a mental robustness hold and that no crime had occurred Jamal Aytes was not at the apartment when officers responded About three hours later Jamal Aytes established up at a hospital with cuts to his hands Campbell revealed Officers then went back to the Aytes residence and exposed the victim dead Deputy Society Defender Christine Brady argued self-defense couldn t be ruled out per her client s initial call to police and his injuries The attorney argued his hand injuries and the presence of his blood on a knife blade were consistent with taking the knife away from his mother She also disclosed that when officers responded to the Aytes apartment they spoke with Jacqueline Aytes for only a limited minutes and did not enter the apartment to assess the situation Deputy District Attorney Kristie Nikoletich argued that the number of stab wounds and their locations on the victim s body make it clear that it was murder and nothing less She commented that Aytes hand injury was largest part likely sustained when part of the knife broke during the alleged attack causing his hand to slip and get sliced on the blade The prosecutor revealed no knives or other items that could be used by Jacqueline Aytes as weapons were exposed in the nearby vicinity of her body At least one knife held to have been used in the killing was exposed discarded in a trash can in the apartment s kitchen Blood was also exposed in the apartment s bathroom sink and a sink in a nearby laundry room Nikoletich argued this was indicative of trying to clean up the scene while Brady argued it was more likely Aytes was exclusively tending to his wounds Aytes was held to answer on the murder charge and remains in custody without bail