Antonio Padilla Sentenced 30 Years to Life for Murdering, Decapitating Woman in Huntington Beach

Antonio Padilla, a 37-year-old transient, was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for the second-degree murder of 60-year-old Regina Lockhart, whose decapitated body was found buried in the backyard of his family’s Huntington Beach home in June 2022. During sentencing, Orange County Superior Court Judge Gary Paer expressed regret that he could not impose a harsher penalty, highlighting the brutal nature of the crime and Padilla's history of violence, which included a prior felony assault conviction. Lockhart, known in the community, was last seen alive near local businesses before her murder, which Padilla committed while on probation. The judge described Padilla as a significant threat to public safety, emphasizing that he viewed the defendant as dangerous and a