Two of three men accused in the shooting death of a Riverside convenience store clerk during a robbery earlier this year pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder and other charges.
John Lamont Bush, 31, of Los Angeles and Roderick Lamar Grandison, 47, of Compton were arrested, along with 33-year-old Marleiya Onshel Barnes of Moreno Valley, in March in connection with the Feb. 28 slaying of 28-year-old Waqar Tanveer of Fontana.
All three defendants are charged with first-degree murder, two counts of robbery and a sentence-enhancing gun use allegation. Bush, the alleged triggerman, is additionally charged with a special circumstance allegation of killing in the course of a robbery.
Bush and Grandison were arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge O.G. Magno, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for June 22 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Both defendants are being held at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta — Bush without bail, and Grandison in lieu of $1 million bail.
Barnes is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning and is slated to be arraigned in Magno’s courtroom on June 22.
In addition to the obbery that resulted in Tanveer’s death, the defendants allegedly robbed a man in a separate holdup less than a week later.
According to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, Tanveer was working the register in a 7-Eleven store at 6692 Indiana Ave. when the defendants allegedly confronted him about 3:25 a.m., demanding money.
A customer walked into the store a short time later and discovered the victim mortally wounded. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Police officers and sheriff’s deputies initiated a search of the area using K9 teams, but the robbers had fled in a vehicle, according to investigators.
The store’s security surveillance videotape was reviewed as part of the investigation, but detectives did not say how the defendants were identified as the alleged perpetrators.
All were arrested without incident the following week. Only Barnes has prior felony convictions, according to court records.