VISTA — A 26-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of killing his mother at her Vista residence pleaded not guilty to all charges on Friday in Vista Superior Court.
Malcolm Morey Pope was arraigned in court on a first-degree murder charge two days after his arrest at a home along North Citrus Avenue in a neighborhood north of state Route 78 and east of Santa Fe Avenue, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
Around 10 a.m. on April 23, law enforcement was called for a wellness check at the residence and discovered a deceased adult female, identified in a criminal complaint as Mireya Pope, inside with obvious signs of trauma.
During a subsequent search of the premises, deputies discovered that Pope had barricaded himself inside the bathroom. After the suspect ignored repeated orders to surrender, sheriff’s officials called in a SWAT team. Pope continued refusing to give himself up through the late morning and afternoon.
Deputies finally were able to get him into custody in the early evening following a six-hour standoff with San Diego County Sheriff’s SWAT and Crisis Negotiations Team personnel, sheriff’s Lt. Sean Gallagher said. Sheriff’s officials declined to specify details about the arrest.
Pope was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of murder in connection with the alleged homicide. Pope’s city of residence was not provided.
Pope is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court again on May 6. No further details about the circumstances of the homicide were shared in court, but the criminal complaint alleges that Pope killed his mother sometime between April 22 and 23.
The Sheriff’s Homicide Unit is continuing to investigate the motivation and circumstances of the crime. Pope faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of murdering Mireya Pope, who was an assistant teacher at LePort Montessori School in Solana Beach.
Maria Figueroa, who lives next door to the home where the crime occurred, said that Pope lived with his mother at the residence and that he had been violent against her in the past. In the days leading up to the arrest, Figueroa said Pope had become increasingly aggressive and his mother had made him move outside to sleep in his car.
Figueroa said Pope had also threatened her and other neighbors and would walk around outside with a machete.
In August 2022, Pope’s mother obtained an emergency protective order against him after he allegedly dragged her out of her car and began searching her for keys to the vehicle. He had an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest at the time, and barricaded himself inside the house.
Criminal records indicate that Pope also previously pleaded guilty to resisting arrest following an incident in 2021.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330 or after hours at (858) 565-5200.
City News Service contributed to this report. This story was updated to include confirmation of the victim’s identity.
