A felon accused of gunning down an Indio man during a street confrontation likely bore a grudge against the victim due to prior conflicts, the prosecution said Tuesday, while the defendant’s attorney argued his client fired in self defense.
Hilario Larry Muela Jr., 39, of Indio is charged with first-degree murder, being a felon in possession of a loaded firearm, illegal possession of a gun and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations for the 2023 death of 36-year-old Marco Ramirez Jr.
“This is not a case of self-defense. It’s not a whodunit,” Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Jenna Barsamian told jurors in her opening statement Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. “This is a case of a man who was shot two times.”
The prosecutor recalled that the victim and defendant were familiar with one another and not on good terms.
She said that shortly after 1 a.m. on Feb. 3, 2023, Muela was walking through the 45600 block of Smurr Street, near Requa Avenue, just north of Highway 111, when he passed Ramirez and a few other people outside the victim’s home.
Barsamian said that Muela later admitted to Indio Police Department investigators that he was armed at the time, but that the pistol “was just a backup type of thing.”
The prosecutor told jurors there had been bad blood between Muela and Ramirez, and she alleged that something triggered the defendant during their encounter that morning, possibly leading him to see “an opportunity to gain revenge on prior grievances.”
Muela allegedly pulled his pistol and shot the victim twice in the back. Ramirez died at the scene.
The defendant allegedly fled the location, but he was quickly identified as the alleged assailant and taken into custody without incident that afternoon.
Defense attorney Joshua Visco told the jury in his opening statement that “Mr. Muela acted in self-defense, and he is not guilty of murder.”
Visco also pointed to previous conflicts between the men, but he insisted his client was not the gadfly and, in fact, was fearful of Ramirez.
The attorney maintained that Muela only pulled his gun and opened fire to prevent harm to himself, but he did not elaborate on the exact circumstances.
Court records indicated the defendant has prior convictions that resulted in prison time, though they weren’t specified.