Victim Identified In Probable Homicide Friday At Western State Hospital

(Editor's note: This is from the Lakewood Police Department)

Lakewood Police detectives met with the Pierce County Prosecutor this morning to brief them on the details of the death investigation at . Detectives also attended the autopsy of the victim at the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The victim has been identified as Paul Montefusco, 29. According to a news release from the police department, an official cause of death has not been issued at this point.

The subject arrested Friday is a 40-year-old male who will not be named until he is charged. He was booked into the Pierce County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder. The Prosecutor’s office has filed a declaration to hold the man for 72 hours while they review the case for a charging decision.

According to the police department, both the suspect and Montefusco were at Western State on court-ordered civil commitments. The confrontation started when Montefusco came into the suspect’s room and urinated on him, and then started masturbating on or near him. The suspect became upset and a fight ensued.

The suspect confessed to pushing a pen into Montefusco’s ear.  There was blood around Montefusco’s head and a substance later identified as shaving cream around his face. The suspect admitted to putting shaving cream on Montefusco’s face, but did not say why.

Patch will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.