OC man charged with murder in wife’s stabbing death over Valentine’s Day weekend

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. - A San Juan Capistrano man faces murder charges after his estranged wife was stabbed to death over Valentine’s Day weekend. Officials said the suspect believed she had been unfaithful.

What we know:

On Saturday, Feb. 14, at about 6:30 a.m., the Orange County Sheriff’s Department received a call from a woman who said her brother-in-law told her he had killed his wife with a knife at their San Juan Capistrano home.

When deputies arrived at the home, they found 62-year-old Stephen Anthony Demora walking outside with blood on his face and body. Inside the garage, they found 59-year-old Debora Demora lying in a pool of blood.

The couple had been married for 30 years, but investigators said they had been estranged for the past 10 years while continuing to live together.

Officials said the suspect was taken to a local hospital for self-inflicted injuries.

He has since been charged with one felony count of murder and one felony enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon, a knife.

What they're saying:

"This is a tragedy on so many levels that a relationship that stretched over so many decades could erupt in such brutality on a day meant to celebrate love," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. "Violence of any kind against anyone will not be tolerated, and those who engage in violence will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

What's next:

Demora is being held at the Orange County Jail on $1 million bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned March 26, 2026, at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach.

He faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life if convicted on all charges.