One of two men accused in a street confrontation during which a Home Gardens resident was shot was charged Friday with attempted murder and other offenses.
Juan Manuel Lopez Jr., 42, of Corona was arrested Wednesday after surrendering to Riverside County Sheriff’s Department personnel at the Lake Mathews station.
Along with attempted murder, Lopez is charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
His co-defendant, 38-year-old Alexandro Lopez, also of Corona, was arrested on Monday and charged two days later with attempted murder and being a felon with a gun. He made his initial court appearance Thursday and is scheduled to return on May 19 for formal arraignment.
Juan Lopez, who is being held on $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail, was slated to make his initial court appearance Friday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Alexandro Lopez is also being held on $1 million bail, but at the Smith Correctional Facility.
It could not be confirmed whether the defendants are related.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Patrick Montalvo, shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday, the pair were involved in an unspecified dispute with a Home Gardens man, whose identity was not disclosed, in the 3900 block of South Temescal Street, near Estelle Street.
There was a physical altercation, culminating in Juan Lopez allegedly pulling a handgun and shooting the victim, Montalvo said.
He alleged the defendants immediately fled.
Deputies reached the location minutes later and found the victim suffering a gunshot wound that did not appear life-threatening, the sergeant said.
The victim was taken to a Riverside hospital, where he received treatment before being released to recover at home.
Montalvo said detectives quickly identified the defendants as the alleged assailants. Alexandro Lopez was located the following day and taken into custody without incident on North McKinley Street in Corona.
Juan Lopez walked into the Lake Mathews station on Latitude Way near Corona late Wednesday morning and was arrested.
The defendants have documented prior felony convictions in another jurisdiction that weren’t listed in court records.