Councilman’s stepson charged with his murder

MURRIETA, Calif. (AP) - The stepson of a former Lake Elsinore city councilman has been charged with killing him.

A murder charge was filed Wednesday against 40-year-old Simon Cortez. It carries a special allegation of lying in wait, making him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

Cortez currently is serving a state prison sentence for drug possession.

His stepfather, 76-year-old George Alongi, was found dead in his home in February of last year after his wife called 911. Alongi was beaten, stabbed and slashed more than a dozen times.

Riverside County prosecutors say Alongi had been convicted several times of domestic violence against Cortez’s mother, and he had a history of arguments with his stepson.

Alongi was a councilman from 1992 until 1999, when he was removed from office for misconduct.