Joseph Henry Mokate of Hemet is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at Banning’s Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility and is set to make his next court appearance Friday for a felony settlement conference, according to jail and court records.

Mokate is accused in the slaying of 29-year-old Boris Stepanyuk of Winchester. Stepanyuk’s body was found at the intersection just before 7 p.m. April 25; he had suffered a “possible stab wound,” according to the sheriff’s department.

It’s not clear what led investigators to Mokate. He was arrested in Palm Desert about three hours after Stepanyuk’s body was discovered. A relationship between the two men, if any, was not disclosed by investigators nor was a possible motive.

City News Service reported that Mokate pulled a weapon and stabbed Stepanyuk at least once in the upper body, after which he fled. Witnesses called 911, and patrol deputies and paramedics reached the location a short time later.

Court records show Mokate has no felony criminal convictions in Riverside County.

According to a GoFundMe page established for Stepanyuk’s mother and his younger brother, the victim was studying medicine and had dreams of becoming a surgeon.

“Boris was brilliant and worked hard to get into medical school,” the page reads. “After graduating from Point Loma Charter School, he graduated from UCSD. Then, he attended the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Boris was funny but reserved and quiet. He loved his family and his dog, a huskie named Mischa. He regularly enjoyed daily sunrise and sunset walks with her through his neighborhood.”

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An investigation immediately ensued, with the Riverside County Central Homicide Unit taking the lead. Just hours after the initial discovery, Joseph Mokate, a 60-year-old male resident of Hemet, was detained as the prime suspect in the fatal incident. According to a report from the Sheriff’s Department, Mokate was later arrested and booked for murder at the Cois Byrd Detention Center. It’s not clear what led to Mokate’s arrest or his connection to the victim.

The authorities have confirmed that no other suspects are being sought in this murder investigation, which suggests they believe Mokate acted alone. Members of the community who might have additional information are being encouraged to step forward and contact either Investigator Anderson of the Central Homicide Unit or Investigator Gasparini of the Southwest Sheriff’s Station.

Details about the motive or circumstances of the crime remain sparse as the investigation continues. The statement given by the Sheriff’s Department didn’t include information about what may have preceded the deadly encounter or the nature of the relationship between Mokate and Stepanyuk, if any.

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