Pretrial motions began Monday ahead of jury selection in the trial of two felons accused of fatally shooting a 61-year-old Anza man during a robbery.
Brandon Noll Pollard of Escondido and Maxwell Hakole Reynolds of Anza, both 33, allegedly killed Khamsene Singnolay in 2019.
Both men are charged with first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping to commit robbery, special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and killing in the course of a robbery, as well as sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy Freer received motions from the prosecution and defense Monday regarding proposed witnesses, evidence, scheduling and related matters. The judge was expected to begin summoning prospective jurors to the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta before the end of the week for screening as to their availability and qualifications.
Each defendant is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
Singnolay died soon after arriving at county fire Station No. 29 at 56560 Highway 371 in Anza just before midnight on June 4, 2019, according to sheriff’s officials.
Sgt. Rick Espinoza said at the time that the victim had been shot in the upper body, and firefighters initiated lifesaving treatment, but he died before an ambulance got there.
Detectives determined that the shooting had occurred a short time earlier in the area of Bautista Canyon and Trip Flats roads, Espinoza said.
He said the two defendants were identified after evidence was gathered and witnesses were interviewed, but the circumstances behind the shooting were not disclosed.
Reynolds was arrested June 7, 2019, and Pollard was arrested the following day.
Court records show both defendants served time in state prison. However, details about their prior convictions were unavailable.