Love, Then a Life, Lost Amid Misunderstandings

First, Charles Edward Lovinggood lost his love. Then, on Valentine’s Day, he lost his life.

On Monday, just 20 minutes into the most sentimental of days, Lovinggood, 45, of Reseda, telephoned his estranged wife, Marilyn Eileen Lovinggood, also 45. Police said that upon learning that another man was living at her West Hills home, Charles Lovinggood threatened to pay them a visit.

When he carried out that threat, he got into a fight with the other man, who punched him twice in the face, police said. And after his head struck the slate floor, he died.

Detectives said Lovinggood’s jealousy was misplaced. They said Harold Steven Cartrett, 29, was just a friend of Marilyn Lovinggood. He had been living at her house because his home was damaged during the earthquake.

“There seems to have been a lot of misunderstandings here,” said Detective Rick Swanston. He said charges have not been filed because Lovinggood apparently assaulted his estranged wife before Cartrett punched him.

Charles Lovinggood, who had been separated from Marilyn Lovinggood for nearly a year, phoned her shortly after midnight.

“He was angry and said he was going to find out who was living there with her. . . . He said he was going to pound the door down,” Swanston said.

When Lovinggood arrived, Cartrett ordered him to leave the house, Swanston said,

Instead, Lovinggood grabbed his estranged wife and “began shaking her violently,” the detective said.

Cartrett hit Lovinggood twice in the face. After the second blow, he fell and hit his head, police said.

He was pronounced dead by paramedics at 12:51 a.m.