Two felons who allegedly conspired in the slaying of a 27-year-old Riverside man are due back in court on Friday.
Kenny Andrew Johnson, 40, of Riverside and Alonzo Jeffrey Monk Jr., 43, of Colton are accused in the deadly shooting of Horacio Montero Jr. last month.
Both defendants are charged with first-degree murder and special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and murder for financial gain. Monk is additionally charged with sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
The men pleaded not guilty during a joint arraignment Monday before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Gary Polk, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for the pair on Friday at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Each man is being held without bail — Johnson at the Smith Correctional Facility, and Monk at the Benoit Detention Center.
According to the Riverside Police Department, Johnson allegedly contracted with Monk to carry out the shooting on Sept. 29.
“The motive behind why Johnson wanted to harm Horacio remains under investigation,” Officer Ryan Railsback said.
He said Montero was sleeping inside a single-wide trailer adjacent to an auto shop in the 2900 block of Orange Street, between First and Poplar streets downtown, when he was shot multiple times.
Witnesses who heard the gunfire called 911, and patrol officers and paramedics reached the location within minutes. Railsback said the victim was taken to Riverside Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The ensuing investigation pointed to Johnson and Monk as alleged conspirators in the fatal attack, though Railsback did not disclose what led Robbery-Homicide Unit detectives to the men.
Johnson was taken into custody without incident hours after the shooting, as he was driving on Canyon Springs Parkway in Moreno Valley.
Monk was arrested uneventfully on Thursday afternoon at his residence in Colton.
Court records indicate both men have lengthy rap sheets, going back to when they were juveniles.
Johnson has priors for robbery and attempted robbery, while Monk has priors for manslaughter and burglary.
Each defendant has served time in state prison, according to court documents.
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