CITY FOCUS:

A 20-year-old Valencia woman accused of fatally stabbing an 18-year-old man in a Huntington Beach hotel early Tuesday is expected in court Thursday to answer murder charges, prosecutors said.

Huntington Beach police and U.S. Marshals arrested Samantha Elizabeth Rothwell, 20, at her home in Valencia at about 4 p.m. Tuesday. Walter Leonel Rivas of Palmdale was killed at the Hotel Huntington Beach, 7667 Center Ave.

Witnesses told police she fled the scene in a white pickup truck, which was discovered by marshals in front of her home later in the day, Capt. Dan Johnson said.

At about 1:40 a.m. Tuesday, police received a call from the hotel, Lt. Craig Junginger said.

Rothwell was with a group of up to six people, including Rivas, in one of the hotel rooms, when an argument erupted between the two, Junginger said. The group of friends and acquaintances had spent the day partying and returned to the hotel where they were standing on a patio, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors allege Rothwell returned to the hotel room to get a knife from her purse after she grew angry with Rivas.

The dispute escalated into the hallway outside of the room where Rivas was stabbed, Junginger said.

The group dragged Rivas back into the hotel room and called police, Junginger said. Police found Rivas inside the hotel room with a single stab wound.

A short time later, Rothwell ran downstairs from the room, leaving a trail of blood through the lobby and outside to the parking lot, where she jumped into a car and hit another vehicle on the way out, Junginger said.

Rivas was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he died during surgery, police said.

Police found Rothwell at her home with the help of U.S. Marshals, Johnson said.

“The marshals called her out of her home and she surrendered herself without incident,” Johnson said.

Raven Guerra and Mariel Romero were down the hall from Rivas’ room when the stabbing occurred.

“We heard a knock at the door at 2 a.m.,” Guerra said. “When we asked what happened, they said an assault.”

The couple said they were sleeping and did not hear anything until the knock on their door from police.

“I asked them if there were weapons involved, and they said yes,” Romero said. “I put my hand like a gun to ask, and he shook his head no.”

The couple from Miami were stranded at the hotel for hours, since their rental car has become part of the investigation.

Police took a small knife found in Rothwell’s home into evidence, authorities said.

She was being transported back to Huntington Beach Tuesday night, where she will be held on $1 million bail, police said.

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