One of two men accused of fatally shooting a 33-year-old motorist during a car-to-car attack that began on a Riverside street and continued onto a high school campus pleaded not guilty Monday to first-degree murder and other charges.
Arthur Joseph Henderson, 27, of Las Vegas was arrested earlier this month following a Riverside Police Department investigation into the July slaying of Robert Moore of San Bernardino.
Along with murder, Henderson is charged with attempted murder and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, as well as sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
He was arraigned Monday before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Gail O’Rane, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Sept. 17 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
The defendant is being held in lieu of $2 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center.
His co-defendant, 20-year-old Omarey Trayvon Hart of Ontario, was arrested and arraigned in July, pleading not guilty to first-degree murder, attempted murder and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
Hart is also being held on $2 million bail at the Murrieta jail and will appear with Henderson next month.
According to Riverside police Detective Steve Espinosa, the alleged attack on Moore happened in the predawn hours of July 5, beginning in the 3300 block of Central Avenue.
Espinosa alleged Henderson and Hart opened fire on the victim’s vehicle, which was occupied by one other person, whose identity was not disclosed in court documents.
The detective said the defendants allegedly chased Moore into the parking lot of Poly High School, which was then closed for the summer, in the 5400 block of Victoria Avenue, where the two vehicles collided “and a second shooting took place.”
Moore was mortally wounded but no one else was injured.
Espinosa alleged the defendants immediately fled. A possible motive wasn’t disclosed.
The police spokesman said patrol officers went to the campus following 911 calls of gunfire and discovered the victim, who was rushed to Riverside Community Hospital, where he died a short time later.
Investigators identified Hart as one of the alleged gunmen within a couple of days. He was taken into custody without incident on West Flora Street in Ontario on July 8.
Henderson was taken into custody uneventfully on Bear Valley Road in Victorville on Aug 5.
Details on his prior conviction were unavailable. Hart has no priors in adult court.