Laguna Beach homicide: Safford James Wolfson charged with mother’s murder

On July 20, 2026, police responded to a welfare check at a rental home on Dunning Drive in Laguna Beach, California. The grandmother of 36‑year‑old Safford James Wolfson discovered the residence with broken furniture and blood‑spattered floors. Inside, investigators found 61‑year‑old Angela Caprioli, a resident of Maine visiting her son, with severe blunt‑force injuries to her head and face. Wolfson was found covered in blood and later taken to a hospital with self‑inflicted neck wounds.

Wolfson, who identifies as a transgender woman, was arrested three days later and is being held on $1 million bail. He faces a felony count of murder and an enhancement for using a deadly weapon. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer called the killing “heartbreaking.” An arraignment is scheduled for October 1. Neighbors reported a heated argument between Wolfson and Caprioli before the killing, and public records show Wolfson co‑founded a sober‑living facility in nearby Rancho Palos Verdes.