Big Bear Lake murder suspect Ronald Michael Hitchcock, charged with the 2002 death of his girlfriend, Deborah Ann Crouch., returns to Superior Court on Tuesday, April 28, (FILE PHOTO)
By G. T. Houts
San Bernardino, CA – Murder suspect Ronald Michael Hitchcock, 59, returns to court Tuesday, April 28. Hitchcock, who is charged with the murder of Erwin Lake resident, Deborah Ann Crouch, 53, will be have a disposition/reset hearing at 8:30 a.m. in San Bernardino County Superior Court, Department S-16.
Deborah Ann Crouch (File Photo)
Hitchcock — a resident of Big Bear — has already entered a not guilty plea to murder and cruelty to another’s animal. He is currently in custody at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga with bail set at $1 million.
During a brief appearance before Judge J. David Mazurek on March 10, Hitchcock’s hearing was continued at the request of defense attorney Rod Curbelo. Curbelo is a deputy public defender.
THE INCIDENT
Hitchcock is charged with two felony charges after Crouch’s body and that of a dog were retrieved from a submerged car in Big Bear Lake on September 15, 2012.
Big Bear Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Swim Beach area of Meadow Park at about 6 a.m. on that date, and made contact with a man (Hitchcock) — who was inside the fencing at Swim Beach and yelling — he explained his vehicle had crashed through the locked front gate and into the lake, according to a media advisory issued at the time by the Big Bear Station.
The report of a submerged car at Swim Beach in Big Bear Lake was received about 6 a.m. Saturday, September 15, 2002. (Contributed Photo)
Sheriff’s Aviation’s 40-King was dispatched about 7 a.m. and once over the scene mapped the GPS coordinates of the car’s location. The car was located about 20 yards out from the beach.
Members of the department’s dive team went into Big Bear Lake and found the vehicle, which contained the female victim (Crouch) and a dog. They were both pronounced deceased at the scene.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department homicide detectives were summoned to the scene and, following their investigation — which included a search of Crouch’s residence on E Lane in Erwin Lake — arrested Hitchcock on suspicion of murder. (64)