A 36-year-old man was charged Monday, July 27, with killing his mother in a Laguna Beach home last week, with prosecutors accusing him of using a hammer during the attack, according to a criminal complaint filed in Orange County Superior Court.
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Safford James Wolfson was charged with one count of murder with an enhancement for personal use of a deadly weapon in relation to the death of 61-year-old Angela Caprioli, according to court records.
Wolfson appeared remotely, along with his attorney, for a brief arraignment hearing on Monday afternoon in the Newport Beach courtroom of Orange County Superior Court Judge Maria D. Hernandez.
Wolfson was still in the ICU at Mission Hospital, his attorney, Brian Gurwitz, told the judge from Wolfson’s bedside. Bearded and with long hair, Wolfson appeared to be laying in a hospital bed. He also appeared alert, telling the judge, “Ah, yes, ma’am” when asked if he could hear what was going on in the courtroom.
Gurwitz acknowledged to the judge that Laguna Beach officers were present at the hospital. The judge formally ordered that the Orange County Sheriff’s Department take over responsibility for him while he awaits trial.
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Wolfson did not enter a plea.
Judge Hernandez set his bail at $1 million, despite the prosecutors’ request for no bail. Wolfson’s next court appearance was scheduled for Oct. 1, when he will once again face an arraignment, when charges are formally read or waived and a plea can be given, as well as a bail review hearing.
Caprioli was found dead inside the home in the 1300 block of Dunning Drive on the morning of July 20, police said. Wolfson was initially named a person of interest, with police later announcing his arrest, on Thursday, July 23.
No possible motive for the attack had been released by authorities.
Neighbors of the Laguna Beach home said they believed Wolfson had been living there for about six months and had caretakers visit the house frequently, CBS Los Angeles reported. One neighbor said his mother, a resident of Maine, had arrived within a week before her death to drop off a TV and other items.
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