| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: July 27, 2026 Case # 26HF1844
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Laguna Beach Man Charged with Murder for Bludgeoning His Mother to Death with a Hammer
SANTA ANA – A 36-year-old man has been charged with bludgeoning his mother to death with a hammer inside his Laguna Beach home last week.
Safford James Wolfson, 36, of Laguna Beach has been charged with one felony count of murder and one felony enhancement of personally using a deadly weapon, a hammer, in connection with the death of his mother, 61-year-old Angela Caprioli. He faces a maximum sentence of 26-years-to-life if convicted on all charges.
Wolfson is currently being held in lieu of $1 million bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on October 1, 2026, at the Harbor Justice Center in Department H2.
On July 20, 2026, at about 11:00 am, Laguna Beach Police Department officers were called to Wolfson’s home in the 1300 block of Dunning Drive after Wolfson’s grandmother found broken furniture and blood everywhere and found her grandson covered in blood on the floor. Wolfson’s mother was discovered in a bedroom with severe blunt force injuries to head and face.
Wolfson was taken to the hospital to be treated for self-inflicted injuries to his neck. His mother, who was visiting from Maine, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“It is heartbreaking to think that someone could so violently end the life of the very person who gave them life,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “We will continue to pursue justice for Ms. Caprioli and everyone who loved her.”
Senior Deputy District Attorney Jeff Moore of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.
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