A Ventura County man has been convicted of first-degree murder in the brutal killing of his girlfriend.
Prosecutors say Uren Balbuna got into an argument with Zaria Patino-Trejo at their Simi Valley apartment. The victim’s mother arrived as the two were arguing, and tried to get her daughter to leave.
Detectives say Balbuna grabbed a kitchen knife, and slashed the mother in the head. They say he then stabbed his girlfriend more than 30 times, killing her.
A jury found the 32-year-old Simi Valley man guilty of first-degree murder for the killing of Patino-Trejo, assault with a deadly weapon on her mother, as well as some lesser charges. He’ll be sentenced in January.
