Two conspirators accused in the shooting death of a man in a financially motivated attack in San Jacinto must stand trial for first-degree murder and other charges, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Diego Ernest Brane, 25, and Elias Shane Miranda, 22, both of San Jacinto, are accused with 42-year-old Ramon Alejandro Mora in the 2019 slaying of Christopher Antonio Gutierrez, also of San Jacinto.
Mora is on the lam, whereabouts unknown, according to court records.
Following a preliminary hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice Tuesday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Matthew Perantoni found there was sufficient evidence to bound Brane and Miranda over for trial on the murder count, as well as robbery and a special circumstance allegation of killing for financial gain.
Perantoni additionally found sufficient evidence to justify sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations against Brane.
The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for March 26.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Ed Baeza, on the afternoon of Nov. 15, 2019, the defendants allegedly targeted Gutierrez in the 100 block of Jordan Avenue, near First Street, shooting the victim to death.
Baeza alleged that the men fled before patrol deputies converged on the location.
Gutierrez was found in grave condition from the gunshot wounds and was taken to a regional trauma center, where he died that night.
It was unclear how much money or other property the defendants allegedly took from the victim, or whether he knew his attackers.
Central Homicide Unit detectives assumed the investigation and ultimately gathered sufficient evidence to obtain an arrest warrant for Brane, who was located in custody at the Robert Presley Jail, awaiting disposition of several cases, including one for alleged attempted murder in July 2022. The circumstances connected to that case were unavailable.
Court records show Brane has prior misdemeanor convictions for making criminal threats, harassment by telephone and presenting false identification to a peace officer.
His arrest led to additional evidence pointing to the alleged involvement of Miranda and Mora.
Miranda, who was taken into custody without incident in February 2023, has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County. However, Mora has priors for attempted murder and auto theft, according to court documents.
Prosecutors do not intend to seek capital punishment if the defendants are found guilty.