Two ex-cons who pummeled a 24-year-old man at a Riverside park, inflicting head trauma that put him in a coma, were each sentenced Wednesday to a year in jail and three years probation.
Danny Fernando Flores, 34, and Hector C. Murrillo, 26, pleaded guilty Monday to assault resulting in great bodily injury and a sentence-enhancing allegation of inflicting injuries that induced a coma. In exchange for their admissions, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office dropped an aggravated mayhem charge filed against each man.
The pleas were made just as jury selection was to scheduled to begin for their trial at the Riverside Hall of Justice. Superior Court Judge David Gunn certified the terms of the plea agreement and imposed the stipulated sentences.
According to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, the victim, identified in court documents only as John Doe, encountered the two convicted felons during a late-night party that stretched into the pre-dawn hours of June 7 at Myra Linn Park in the 4500 block of Meredith Street.
A confrontation erupted between several people, including the victim, who was thrown to the ground and beaten by Flores and Murrillo until he fell unconscious, according to investigators, who said the defendants fled the park as witnesses called 911. Both men were identified and taken into custody within a week of the attack.
The victim was treated at Riverside Community Hospital, where he remained in a coma for several days. When questioned by police, he had no recollection of what happened to him, according to prosecutors.
Court records show that Flores is a documented member of a street gang and has multiple prior convictions, including auto theft, possession of illegal drugs and gang activity.
Murrillo’s priors were not listed, but according to records, he has served time in state prison within the last five years.