A Jan. 12 trial date has been set for a man accused of gunning down his 75-year-old housemate and trying to kill his girlfriend during an Easter Sunday dispute at their Riverside residence.
Christopher Jacob Lennox, 29, allegedly killed Robert Joe Mageno on March 31, 2024.
Lennox is charged with murder, attempted murder, domestic violence and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
During a pretrial conference at the Riverside Hall of Justice Wednesday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Gerard conferred with the prosecution and defense regarding scheduling, and both sides agreed to work on clearing their calendars for jury proceedings in the second week of January.
Lennox is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail.
The alleged attack happened around noon on Easter Sunday last year in the 7600 block of Canberra Way, near Trautwein Road, in the Mission Grove quarter of Riverside.
According to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, there was an unspecified argument between Lennox and his girlfriend, identified in court documents as Laura B. Goachet, at the defendant’s house, where several people leased rooms, including Mageno.
“The suspect retrieved a handgun and shot his girlfriend,” Railsback said. “When she fled the room, Mageno appeared from his room, and the suspect shot him. The girlfriend was able to flee across the street after the shooting.”
Patrol officers converged on the location within minutes and found Goachet wounded but conscious. She was taken to Riverside Community Hospital for surgery and has since recovered.
Mageno was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Officers took Lennox into custody without incident.
“They located a handgun inside the home … believed to have been used in the shooting,” Railsback said.
The defendant has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.