A man accused of gunning down a 38-year-old Lake Elsinore resident must stand trial for first-degree murder and other charges, a judge ruled Thursday.
Steven Saul Vargas, 34, of Lake Elsinore was arrested last year following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the slaying of Brian Rivas.
At the end of a preliminary hearing Thursday, Superior Court Judge John Molloy found there was sufficient evidence to bound Vargas over for trial on the murder count, as well as sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Aug. 20 at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.
The defendant is being held on $2 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Alberto Loureiro, shortly before 8 p.m. on Sept. 14, 2025, there was an unspecified confrontation between Vargas and Rivas at a home in the 28000 block of Wells Fargo Lane, near El Toro Road.
During the argument, the defendant allegedly pulled a handgun and opened fire, killing the victim on the spot, Loureiro said.
It was unclear whether Vargas remained at the scene or fled.
The sergeant said the investigation was turned over to Central Homicide Unit detectives, who gathered evidence and statements in the ensuing three days that pointed to the defendant as the alleged shooter.
Vargas was taken into custody without incident on La Sierra Avenue in Riverside on the afternoon of Sept. 17.
He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County. However, he has an unresolved narcotics possession case from January 2025.