FALLBROOK: Suspect in Fallbrook strangling found dead

By SARAH GORDON - Staff Writer | Saturday, September 6, 2008 6:05 PM PDT ∞

FALLBROOK ---- A Fallbrook man wanted in connection with the strangling death of his girlfriend's 74-year-old grandmother appears to be have been found dead in Riverside County, authorities said Saturday.

Riverside County sheriff's deputies found the man they believe to be 38-year-old Jeff Nolen dead about 9 a.m. Friday in the front seat of a sport utility vehicle parked on a street in Calimesa, a town off Interstate 10 in the west end of the San Gorgonio Pass, according to a Riverside County coroner's statement.

Sheriff's Lt. Larry Nesbit said detectives believe it is Nolan, but they are awaiting fingerprint results to confirm the match.

So far, everything about the dead man, including the green Mercury sport utility vehicle he was found in, matches the wanted man's description.

The man's cause of death had not been determined Saturday.

San Diego sheriff's homicide detectives had been looking for the Fallbrook tow truck driver since Thursday, when they named him as a suspect in the death of the Fallbrook woman whose body was found in her Potter Street apartment.

On Saturday, the San Diego County medical examiner's office said the Fallbrook woman had been strangled to death, with "sharp force injury of neck" as a contributing condition.

The victim's name has not been released because her legal-next-of kin has not been notified.

Nolen's girlfriend, who is the victim's granddaughter, 32-year-old Amy Jo Mitchell of Fallbrook, was arrested Thursday. She is being held at the Las Colinas Detention Center in Santee on allegations that she embezzled or stole from her grandmother while working as her caretaker, a form of elder abuse, booking records show.

Her bail is currently $50,000, with her first court appearance scheduled for Monday.

It's possible the woman was killed because of a dispute over Nolen and Mitchell's children, who were her three great-grandchildren, homicide detectives said Thursday.

Investigators said they believe the victim was killed in her first-floor on apartment Aug. 29.

She was found shortly after midnight Thursday when someone called 911 to report a dead person inside the residence. Detectives have not said who made the call.

Contact staff writer Sarah Gordon at (760) 740-3517 or sgordon@nctimes.com.

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Pre-Registration Comments[-]Go to Top

The Wizard of Oz wrote on Sep 7, 2008 8:07 AM:Saves time and money for a trial.......

Had enough wrote on Sep 7, 2008 11:07 AM:I agree with the Wiz...this warms my heart.

esteban wrote on Sep 9, 2008 9:40 AM:Sounds like the work of vigilantes. They are worse of the worst as criminals. Let the cops do their jobs. they dont need anyone doing it for them.

esteban wrote on Sep 9, 2008 12:06 PM:I thought I told you to leave, fake esteban. I like vigilante justice. Your smear campaigns don't work.

JimRT wrote on Sep 10, 2008 5:59 AM:Esteban squared....that is scary. As for the dead suspect, if he was guilty, then he needed it.

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