A 25-year-old man accused of gunning down a young man during a confrontation on the east end of San Jacinto pleaded not guilty Wednesday to first-degree murder and other charges.
Jonathan Elijah Cezill Amezola of Hemet allegedly killed 20-year-old Raul Solorio, also of Hemet, in January.
Along with murder, Amezola is charged with firearm assault and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
He was arraigned Wednesday before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Randolph Rogers, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Oct. 17 at the Banning Justice Center.
Amezola is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Lance Stoyer, in the predawn hours of Jan. 12, Solorio and a teenage friend were in front of a property in the 1800 block of Normandy Court, near Meridian Street, when Amezola allegedly confronted them.
The defendant pulled a handgun and opened fire, mortally wounding Solorio and inflicting non-life-threatening injuries on the boy, whose identity was not disclosed, Stoyer alleged.
He said the defendant fled the location as witnesses called 911.
Deputies arrived moments later and found Solorio “on the ground, suffering significant injuries,” according to the sergeant. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Solorio’s friend drove himself to a regional trauma center and received treatment for his wounds, from which he has since recovered.
Central Homicide Unit detectives initiated an investigation that spanned six months before confirming the identity of the alleged perpetrator — Amezola — Stoyer said, without disclosing a possible motive for the attack.
The defendant was taken into custody without incident at his home on July 6.
He has no documented prior felony convictions but does have an unspecified misdemeanor conviction in Riverside County.