From a Los Angeles county District Attorney’s office press release
August 1, 2017
A 47-year-old man has been charged with the stabbing death of this wife at their Lancaster home, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Rafael Barragan (dob 6/29/70) faces one count of murder with an allegation that he used a knife as a deadly weapon and one count of dissuading a witness from prosecuting a crime.
Arraignment is scheduled today in Department A01 of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Antelope Valley Branch. Case MA071585 was filed on July 5.
On June 29, victim Katrina Barragan, 37, was allegedly stabbed to death by her husband at their home following an argument that began after leaving a birthday party earlier in the evening, prosecutors said. Before her death, the victim called police but the call was allegedly interrupted by the defendant, prosecutors added.
Bail is set at $2.12 million. The defendant faces a possible maximum sentence of more than 26 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged.
The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Lancaster Station.