A jury is slated to be seated this week for the trial of a 23-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing his stepfather during a confrontation at their Moreno Valley home.
Jose Luis Hernandez is charged with first-degree murder in the 2021 death of 51-year-old Mauricio E. Moreno.
Along with the murder count, Hernandez is charged with sentence-enhancing allegations of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony and inflicting great bodily injury.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sophia Choi summoned prospective jury panels to the Riverside Hall of Justice for the first time Thursday, during which they were issued questionnaires regarding any anticipated hardships, their availability and whether they meet minimum qualifications under state law.
The formal process of screening got underway Monday morning. Opening statements are expected before the end of the week.
Hernandez is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
The alleged attack happened on the night of July 10, 2021, at the defendant’s and victim’s shared residence at 13855 Sylmar Drive, near Cottowood Avenue, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
A prosecution trial brief said that Hernandez returned home from work that night to find Moreno and the defendant’s friend, identified only as “Rickie,” in a fistfight, with Moreno apparently dominating. Hernandez’s sister and another female relative, whose identities were not disclosed, were trying unsuccessfully to stop the fisticuffs.
Court papers alleged that Hernandez “placed the victim in a chokehold and strangled him unconscious.”
After Moreno went limp, Hernandez released him and proceeded upstairs to his bedroom, where he “grabbed a knife and yelled from the top of the stairs, challenging the victim to a fight,” according to the brief.
Moreno regained consciousness and heard the shouts, got to his feet and made his way up the staircase. When he reached the top and came toward Hernandez, the defendant “swung the knife,” stabbing his stepdad in the heart, the narrative stated.
Moreno collapsed and tumbled back down the stairs, where Rickie and the two women immediately tried to stanch the bleeding from his chest and render other aid, according to the prosecution.
Rickie was in disbelief and asked Hernandez why he had done it, to which the defendant replied, “because I was mad,” the brief said.
Court papers said Hernandez then joined the others in doing chest compressions and trying to save Moreno’s life.
Deputies were called to the residence, along with paramedics, and took the defendant into custody without incident. Moreno was transported to nearby Riverside University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Hernandez has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.