Man Accused Of Ax Murder Pleads Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity

RIO LINDA (CBS13) — A Rio Linda man accused in a fatal ax attack on a man he mistakenly believed had broken into his house has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

Authorities say 30-year-old Steven Zinda mistakenly believed that David Valdez had burglarized his home when he chased Valdez down a Rio Linda street and bashed his face with an ax in March.

Last month, a Sacramento County Superior Court judge ordered Zinda to stand trial for murder.

Authorities say Zinda came home on March 20 to find his home ransacked. He allegedly grabbed an ax and went after the 20-year-old Valdez, who was in the neighborhood attending a house party and waiting on the street for a ride.

Believing that Valdez was the suspect, Zinda told investigators he chased the younger man into a field a quarter-mile away and fatally wounded him.