Three young men from Oakland were ordered Tuesday to stand trial on murder and other charges stemming from an alleged follow-home robbery attempt in Bel-Air that left an alleged accomplice dead and one of the victims with a gunshot wound that caused his death a few months later.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Curtis B. Rappe found sufficient evidence to allow the case against Mahki Taylor, Daymonee Johnson and Jason Melara, all now 20, to proceed to trial.
Deputy District Attorney Eric Siddall argued that the victim, Miguel Aguilar, and his wife were at the threshold of their home when they were ambushed Sept. 13, 2024, in a follow-home robbery by four people, including Melara’s brother, Mario, who was allegedly shot in the back by Aguilar before the victim was shot.
Defense attorneys urged the judge to dismiss the charges — focusing on the two murder counts, particularly the one stemming from Mario Melara’s death. Prosecutors contend that the three can be convicted of that killing under the “provocative act” theory even though he was allegedly killed by someone else.
“Who would anticipate that a man would start shooting before he was shot at?” Jason Melara’s attorney, Andrew Stein, told the judge of Aguilar’s actions.
Los Angeles Police Department Detective Frank Flores testified that Taylor told an undercover jailhouse operative after the three were arrested in October 2024 that a so-called “ghost” gun was used in the shooting of Aguilar.
Flores acknowledged later under cross-examination that he believes that Taylor indicated during that conversation that Aguilar fired first at Melara’s brother and that Taylor said he subsequently shot him in the face, although Aguilar was shot in the neck — not the face.
LAPD Detective Nellie Knight testified that the gray Acura the men had allegedly been using was subsequently involved in a collision outside what is now known as Southern California Hospital in Culver City, with the detective saying that surveillance video at the hospital showed Jason Melara with his mortally wounded brother for a time before the defendant left the hospital.
Aguilar died Dec. 21, 2024, while being hospitalized as a result of his injury.
The murder charge involving Aguilar includes the special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of an attempted robbery, along with an allegation that Taylor personally and intentionally discharged a firearm.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has not decided whether to seek the death penalty against any of the three.
Along with the two murder charges, Taylor, Johnson and Melara are also charged with the attempted robbery of Aguilar and his wife, shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, along with robbery and assault with a semiautomatic firearm involving another man a day earlier in a market parking lot.
The three remain jailed without bail while awaiting arraignment July 22 in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom.
Aguilar was a noted fitness influencer and the founder and CEO of Self Made Training Facility, a chain of 30 gyms located throughout California and several other states including Arizona, Texas, Ohio, Nevada, Florida and Virginia. Aguilar and his brand also had more than 52,000 followers on Instagram.
“After a courageous three-month battle following the tragic incident that took place on September 13th, 2024, Miguel peacefully passed away on December 21st, 2024 surrounded by his loved ones,” his family and associates said in an Instagram post.
“Miguel revolutionized personal training and inspired countless individuals to pursue their fitness and entrepreneurial goals.”