Opening statements are scheduled Tuesday in the trial of a Perris man accused of knifing a dog owner to death and later fatally stabbing a mother and daughter, during what authorities theorize were unprovoked “thrill kill” attacks.
David Rey Contreras, 28, could face the death penalty if convicted of killing 53-year-old Jose Apreza, as well as 51-year-old Maria Gonzalez and her 25-year-old daughter, Consuelo “Connie” Gonzalez, four years ago.
Contreras is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, along with special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and committing multiple murders.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Stephen Gallon seated a jury earlier this week at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.
The trial is expected to last a month or more.
Contreras is being held without bail at the Southwest Detention Center.
Deputy District Attorney Dan DeLimon told City News Service in 2015 there was no identifiable motive behind the deadly attacks, referring to preliminary hearing testimony indicating that Contreras was allegedly “going out, walking the streets, seeking innocent people to kill” — possibly just for the thrill.
The first fatal assault occurred on Dec. 29, 2012, near Evans Road and Orange Avenue in Perris. The victim, Apreza, had gone out that morning to walk his pit bull and was reported missing by his wife when he didn’t return within a few hours, sheriff’s investigators said.
One of the deputies dispatched to search for the missing man spotted a body in an open field with a dog standing nearby. When the deputy approached, the pit bull reportedly lunged at him, prompting the lawman to shoot and kill the animal.
Coroner’s officials later confirmed that the human remains were Apreza’s and that he had been stabbed multiple times in his body and thighs.
Investigators surmised that his canine was roaming around when the stabbing occurred.
On the evening of Feb. 4, 2013, Maria Gonzalez and her daughter left their Nuevo home to take a stroll along Central Avenue and a short time later were confronted by a man, who attacked them both with a knife, according to investigators.
Deputies arrived within minutes and found the victims lying on a sidewalk between Ramona and Rosary avenues.
Connie Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene. Her mother was taken to Menifee Valley Medical Center, where she succumbed to her wounds less than an hour later.
Witnesses reported seeing a young man in dark clothing fleeing the area and provided specific identifying details that proved pivotal to the investigation, DeLimon said.
“There were quite a few people who got a glimpse of what happened,” he said. “They gave a good description of the assailant’s dimensions, his clothing and the fact he was wearing a type of back brace you might see on a construction worker.”
A week later, a deputy parked on Central saw an individual adorned in the same articles — including the brace — walking toward him. He detained the man, who turned out to be Contreras.
The defendant was arrested for carrying a concealed knife, which he’d hidden inside the brace. A dog leash was also found in his possession that apparently belonged to Apreza, prosecutors said.
Contreras was jailed on a felony weapon allegation and spent several months behind bars until his attorney offered a plea deal directly to the court, resulting in a probation sentence.
According to the prosecution, during and after the time that the defendant was in custody, DNA tests were conducted on his shoes and the leash, which allegedly contained blood stains. The time-consuming process was eventually completed, resulting in sufficient evidence to warrant murder charges.
Contreras was re-arrested without incident on Aug. 7, 2013, at his family’s home in the 2200 block of Wilson Avenue.
–City News Service