Pretrial motions are slated to begin next week ahead of jury selection for the trial of two felons accused of stealing pickup trucks and gunning down one of the theft victims when he confronted them on a Mead Valley roadway.
Daniel Santos Ambriz, 33, and Juan Cristoval Ambriz Barra, 28, who are half brothers from Perris, allegedly killed 29-year-old Jose Eduardo Del Real of Mead Valley in 2024.
Each defendant is charged with first-degree murder, being a felon in possession of a loaded firearm, a special circumstance allegation of killing in the course of a robbery and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. Barra is additionally charged with parole violations, as well as kidnapping in connection with a separate offense.
During a hearing earlier this week, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy Hollenhorst conferred with the prosecution and defense regarding scheduling, and both sides signaled they were ready to proceed to trial, leading the judge to set pretrial motions for Monday at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Each defendant is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail.
According to an arrest warrant declaration filed by sheriff’s detectives, on the morning of Aug. 12, 2024, the duo allegedly went on an auto theft spree, first targeting a property in Woodcrest, where they stole a GMC pickup, then headed south into Mead Valley.
Shortly before 9 a.m., they allegedly passed a residence where Del Real’s Ford F-450 pickup was idling in the driveway of a property owner identified only as “Juan” with whom the victim was speaking around the front of a house in the 19000 block of Summerwind Trail, near Dawes Street, according to the affidavit.
The defendants stopped the stolen GMC, and Barra got out of the vehicle and jumped into Del Real’s Ford, throwing it into gear and accelerating onto the street, investigators alleged.
The victim yelled that his pickup was being stolen, at which point he and Juan got into the latter’s car and sped after the F-450, not realizing that Ambriz was tailing them in the GMC, according to the sheriff’s narrative.
A few blocks away, in the area of Cajalco Road and Haines Street, Barra stopped the Ford, enabling Del Real to get out of his friend’s car and confront the defendant, throwing open the F-450’s driver’s side door and attempting to pull Barra out the vehicle, according to court papers.
When Juan opened his car door with the intent of getting out to assist Del Real, Ambriz allegedly intentionally rear-ended the man’s sedan, leading to a physical confrontation between Juan and the defendant, the declaration stated.
When Ambriz ran back to the stolen GMC and allegedly grabbed a pistol from a black bag, Juan retreated to safety, according to investigators. About that same time, gunfire erupted next to Del Real’s F-450. Court papers allege he was shot multiple times and died at the scene. Juan was not hurt.
According to the declaration, Barra and Ambriz then both fled in the F-450, racing away southbound. They allegedly abandoned the stolen pickup minutes later on the north end of Perris.
The affidavit alleged that within a day or two, Barra allegedly went to an acquaintance’s house and stashed the gun used in the killing — without telling the resident what he was doing. He then allegedly simulated having a pistol under his shirt and directed the victim, identified in court documents only as “H.O.,” to drive him to an intersection three miles away and drop him there, which the victim did. He wasn’t injured.
That investigation culminated in detectives identifying Ambriz and Barra in connection with the deadly shooting.
Arrest warrants were obtained and served on the pair less than a month later, at which point they were taken into custody without incident.
Ambriz’s girlfriend, 23-year-old Samantha Insley of Perris, pleaded guilty earlier this month to being an accessory after the fact. She’s considered a flight risk and is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail. Her sentencing is tentatively set for March 6, though that will likely be postponed due to her testimony in the defendants’ trial.
She has a prior conviction for carjacking, while court records also show Barra has prior convictions for armed robbery and carrying a concealed weapon, and Ambriz has priors for receiving stolen property and resisting arrest.