LAUSD Teacher Arrested in Ex-Wife's Stabbing Death

Michael Rodney Kane allegedly attacked his estranged wife when she was staying at a friend's house Saturday

A Los Angeles Unified School District teacher was arrested overnight in connection with his estranged wife's stabbing death, which occurred one day after she filed a police report indicating he had violated  a domestic violence restraining order.

The suspect, Michael Rodney Kane, 46, a teacher at Nestle Avenue Charter Elementary School in Tarzana, was arrested shortly after midnight at a motel in Yucca Valley (map), according to the Los Angeles Police Department. His wife, Michelle Kane, 43, died at the scene of the stabbing outside of her friend's home in West Hills on Saturday morning.

Kane was booked into jail in Van Nuys after officers took him into custody "without incident." San Benardino County Sheriff's deputies located his vehicle, and Kane was taken into custody at the Desert View Motel in Yucca Valley -- about 160 miles east of the San Fernando Valley community of West Hills.

"No one was answering, so they kicked the door down," said LAPD Lt. Warren Jones.

Bond was set at $1 million.

Police issued several calls during the weekend for Kane to surrender. He and Michelle Kane had been married for 10 years and had two young children, who were with her when she went to stay with a friend Friday in West Hills.

The stabbing occurred the next morning in the 7100 block of Deveron Ridge Road in West Hills. The violence spilled into the street, where neighbors witnessed the attack at about 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

The pair had a history of domestic violence and was in the process of getting a divorce. Michelle Kane filed a police report on Friday reporting that Michael Kane had violated his restraining order, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

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Attorneys representing Michelle Kane released a statement Monday: "We advised Ms. Kane to take all necessary precautions available to her with regard to the restraining order we were able to obtain on her behalf, which she took. In fact, she went to the police station Friday, twice, and later called again to seek assistance from what she considered an imminent threat to her life and the lives of her children."

The temporary restraining order was filed April 24.

Kane has had his multiple-subject teaching credential since 1998, according to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Correction: An earlier version of this article indicated the victim filed a restraining order Friday. The police report indicating a violation of the restraining order was filed Friday.

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