A man has been accused of committing murder with a hatchet, rattling a quiet California town with its first murder in 20 years.
The San Francisco suburb of Lafayette was left in shock when 34-year-old Christopher Jaber was found dead on Saturday, March 21. The affluent town is known for its top-tier schools and multi million-dollar homes and has avoided grisly crimes in the past two decades.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office confirmed in a statement that David Swank Prince was charged with Jaber’s murder. Authorities said that it was a targeted attack that involved a hatchet, as well as a digital paper trail connecting Prince, 35, to the crime.
Police became aware of the murder when a relative of Jaber called 911 around 11:30 a.m. to report that a suspicious man armed with a hatchet was lurking in the backyard of their property.
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The relative told dispatchers that the man was breaking into an accessory dwelling unit that Jaber lived in.
When they arrived, officers found Jaber dead. Meanwhile, Prince was found walking, just a short distance away from the home. Prince was taken into custody and charged with murder, while he was also hit with an enhancement for the use of a deadly weapon.
“Prince unlawfully and with malice aforethought took the life of Jaber with the use of a hatchet,” the DA’s office said in the press release shared on Tuesday, March 24.
The DA’s office added that the investigation is ongoing.
After Prince was arrested, local news outlets reported about a disturbing post from a Facebook page that apparently came from Prince’s account. The post, which was shared in February, specifically threatened Jaber by name.
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“If you need the chaos of the supernatural to end Chris Jaber 34 aka the eye resides at 5 westminster pl lafayette ca,” the post read, according to NBC Bay Area, KRON4 and SFGATE. “Go with god.”
Prince also allegedly wrote in the comments section, “Can someone please kill this man.”
It is not currently clear how Prince and Jaber knew each other before the killing.
Prince is currently being held at the Martinez Detention Facility, and his bail has been set at $1 million.
It is not currently clear if Prince has retained legal representation or entered a plea in light of his arrest. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.