Butte County man suspected of killing Lafayette resident in targeted act

By Jose Fabian

A Butte County man faces a murder charge in connection with the killing of a Lafayette resident, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.

The DA’s office identified the suspect as 35-year-old David Swank Prince.

Lafayette police arrested Prince on Saturday after being called to a Westminster Place home for a report of a suspicious person with a hatchet. The caller, a relative of the victim, also informed police that the person was breaking into an accessory dwelling unit located in the backyard.

When police arrived, they found 34-year-old Christopher Jaber deceased inside the ADU. Prince was arrested not long after near the scene, police said.

According to police, Prince is from Chico, which is about 151 miles north of Lafayette. The DA said an investigation into a motive is ongoing, but they believe the killing was a targeted act.

They are also investigating whether Prince and Jaber knew each other.

Prince is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on a murder charge with an enhancement for the use of a deadly weapon. He is currently at the Martinez Detention Facility, the DA’s office said.