MURRIETA – A 46-year-old former sheriff's deputy from the Temecula station is out on bail Tuesday, awaiting arraignment for allegedly assaulting his wife and threatening to kill her.

Ronald Eugene Griffith is charged with one count of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse, two counts of making criminal threats and one count of battery on a peace officer or emergency personnel.

Griffith was charged Monday, based on a declaration in support of an arrest warrant filed by Detective Roman Pluimer.

Pluimer stated in his affidavit that on April 26, Griffith attacked his wife, forcing her against a closet door and choking her, saying “you're (expletive) lucky I don't kill you right now.”

Griffith allegedly destroyed the closet, then left the home but returned later, authorities said.

Documents further state that after he returned, Griffith got into an argument with his step-daughter, Sarah Ulloa. When Ulloa made a hand gesture, Griffith allegedly bent her finger back, forcing her to the floor, papers state.

Griffith also ordered the step-daughter to get the boyfriend, Vincent Uscanga, out of the house before he killed him.

The wife told detectives that Griffith had threatened to cut her up into little pieces and put the parts into an acid-filled, 50-gallon drum.

“R. Griffith told her after he body dissolved he would drive around the desert with the drain valve on the drum slightly open, leaking her body onto the desert floor,” Pluimer wrote.

The wife took the statement as a threat and was scared he would actually carry it out, Pluimer said.

Details of the alleged battery on emergency personnel were not released.