Murder and other charges were filed Wednesday against three reputed gang members accused of gunning down a 26-year-old Moreno Valley man and trying to kill two of his friends two summers ago.
Daron Anthony Hooks, 20, Davonte Christopher Rowe, 24, and Maurice Landon Williamson, 31 — all of Riverside — are accused in the shooting death of Jamon Hampton of Moreno Valley.
Along with murder, the men are charged with two counts of attempted murder and also face a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait and sentence-enhancing gang, gun and great bodily injury allegations.
Hooks is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside, while Rowe is being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta. Williamson is in custody in another jurisdiction. The two defendants in Riverside County lockups are expected to make a joint court appearance before the end of the week.
According to Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Ben Ramirez, the trio allegedly confronted Hampton, another man and a boy, neither of whom were identified, outside an apartment complex at 12080 Pigeon Pass Road in Moreno Valley on the night of Aug. 31, 2019.
During the encounter, the defendants allegedly pulled handguns and opened fire, killing Hampton on the spot and wounding the juvenile, Ramirez said. The other victim escaped injury.
Witnesses called 911 and patrol deputies converged on the location within a few minutes, but the trio had fled, the sergeant said.
The juvenile was taken to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley, where he underwent surgery and ultimately recovered.
Over the next nearly two years, homicide detectives developed leads that pointed to Hooks, Rowe and Williamson as the alleged perpetrators, according to Ramirez.
Hooks and Rowe were already in custody for unrelated offenses when investigators formally arrested them for the alleged slaying of Hampton, he said.
According to court records, Williamson has prior convictions for assault with a firearm and burglary. No background information was available regarding his two alleged cohorts.