Pair charged with gang member's death to face trial - San Bernardino County Sun: "Melquiades Rojas knew people were after him. He was sleeping with his shoes on, living a life on the run and using drugs to stay awake.
Rojas' courtroom testimony in a February 2006 murder trial had put two other gang members behind bars - one of them for more than 130 years to life in state prison.
In January of the next year, Rojas was beaten up and dragged from a San Bernardino apartment as he cried out for help, say family members. His body was found two days later in a gully off the 10 Freeway in Beaumont.
Two of the men charged with Rojas' death may now be going to trial.
At a court appearance Friday for Daniel Anthony Robles and Carlos Anthony Soto, lawyers determined that a trial for the two men would begin Thursday with pretrial motions and jury selection, according to prosecutors.
Deputy District Attorney James McGee confirmed the trial date but declined to comment about the case going to trial.
Robles and Soto, both 24, each face charges of murder and kidnapping in Rojas' death April 2, 2006. Prosecutors have also filed special circumstances against the pair for the murder of a witness, kidnapping and conduct benefitting a street gang.
If convicted, Robles and Soto could each face up to life in state prison without the possibility of parole, McGee said."
No comments:
Post a Comment