The four alleged Santa Barbara gang associates charged in the shooting death of an innocent bystander Dec. 9 on Stearns Wharf entered not guilty pleas at their arraignments Monday, prosecutors said.
“All four adults were arraigned, and the case was assigned to Department 6, Judge Maxwell, for all further proceedings,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Tate McAllister told the News-Press. “There will be a preliminary hearing setting conference on 4/6 for all defendants.”
The defendants allegedly engaged in a firefight with juveniles from Ventura County with alleged ties to Ventura County street gangs. The bystander, Robert Dion Gutierrez, 52, of Camarillo, was walking on the Santa Barbara wharf with his wife at the time, and was caught in the crossfire. He suffered a single gunshot wound and died later at the hospital.
Jiram Jhunue Tenorio Ramon, 22, is charged with murder with the special circumstance of committing the murder to benefit a criminal street gang and the special allegation of personal use of a firearm causing death. He is also charged with conspiracy to commit murder and criminal street gang conspiracy.
Ricardo Tomas Jauregui-Moreno Jr., 20, and Christopher Dave Miranda, 21, are each charged with murder, with special allegations of committing the murder for the benefit of a criminal street gang (Westside-Santa Barbara) and principal use of a handgun, conspiracy to commit murder and criminal street gang conspiracy.
Mr. Jauregui-Moreno is also charged with having been previously convicted of a violent felony or “strike” offense.
James Lee Rosborough, 21, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder, criminal street gang conspiracy and being an accessory after the fact, with the special allegation of committing the crime for the benefit of a criminal street gang.
Mr. Rosborough asked for another bail hearing Monday, and a date on his request was set for March 16, Prosecutor McCallister said.
A second defendant, Mr. Jauregui-Moreno, also challenged his no-bail hold Monday, the prosecutor said. “The judge heard arguments but did not rule on the matter and Jauregui’s attorney indicated that she would take up the issue again in Department 6.”
The two 15-year-old alleged juvenile gang associates from Ventura County have denied the murder charges filed against them, too. A third juvenile, 16, has been charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder, and with illegal possession of an unregistered firearm.
The three juveniles were arrested by Santa Barbara Police Department officers on Feb. 16. Their arrests were the result of an intense police investigation to identify and bring to justice additional suspects following the Jan. 19 arrest of the four adult suspects in Santa Barbara who allegedly were involved in the killing.
Police described Mr. Gutierrez as an innocent bystander who was in Santa Barbara with his wife walking on Stearns Wharf “when he was struck and killed by one of the rounds fired during an altercation between two groups of individuals at the base of the wharf.
“One group involved in the altercation has been identified as local Santa Barbara area residents with ties to a local Santa Barbara street gang,” police said. “The opposing group in the altercation has been identified as Ventura County residents with ties to Ventura County street gangs.”
Prosecutors allege the four adult defendants were driving on Stearns Wharf when they verbally challenged their alleged Ventura County rivals, and that they stopped their vehicle for the purpose of deploying two of their party to attack them with a firearm.
Prosecutors contend the four Santa Barbara defendants fled the scene of the shooting afterward, two on foot and two by vehicle, and that those in the vehicle then circled back to the location of the shooting to extract those who fled on foot to avoid apprehension.
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