La Mesan to Stand Trial in Stabbing Death of Spring Valley Man

A man accused in the stabbing death of a Spring Valley resident after an argument over kitchen cleanliness must stand trial on a murder charge, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Manuel Morales Rodriguez Jr., 28, surrendered to Chula Vista police on June 22 in connection with the June 17 death of 26-year-old Jesse Nader.

Following a preliminary hearing Tuesday morning, El Cajon Judge Patricia Cookson ruled that enough evidence was presented for Rodriguez to stand trial Jan. 28.

Deputy District Attorney Curtis Ross said the victim's father – who was the defendant's roommate – got into an argument with Rodriguez about keeping the kitchen clean.

Nader – who was at the home visiting his father on Father's Day – was stabbed once in the heart inside the residence in the 4200 block of Mars Way in an unincorporated area near La Mesa around 9 p.m. Paramedics took Nader to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where he died a short time later.

Rodriguez could face up to 16 years to life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder and the use of a knife, Ross said.

–City News Service