A convicted felon accused of fatally beating a 43-year-old Moreno Valley man and injuring another made his initial court appearance Thursday on a murder charge.
Adonis Darnel Russell, 42, of Moreno Valley was arrested Tuesday following a nearly yearlong investigation into the death of Tony Russell.
He appeared before Riverside County Superior Court Judge David Gunn, who appointed him a public defender and scheduled his arraignment for Dec. 17 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Russell is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Ben Ramirez, on the afternoon of Jan. 29, the defendant was allegedly involved in a confrontation with Tony Russell and two other men behind a residence in the 24200 block of Eucalyptus Avenue, near Indian Street.
Ramirez said patrol deputies were called to the property and found the victim unconscious and another man with non-life-threatening injuries. The assailant had fled.
Tony Russell was taken to nearby Riverside University Medical Center, where he died a short time later.
Detectives spent the ensuing months developing leads, which eventually pointed to Adonis Russell as the alleged perpetrator, according to Ramirez. An arrest warrant was obtained, and the defendant was taken into custody without incident on Adrienne Avenue, shortly after 6 a.m. Tuesday.
A possible motive was not disclosed, and it was unclear whether the defendant and victim were related.
According to court records, Adonis Russell has prior convictions for spousal abuse, assault resulting in great bodily injury and being under the influence of a controlled substance.