Remaining Defendants in Fatal SJ Shooting Arrested, Due for Arraignment

BANNING (CNS) – All three conspirators accused in the shooting death of a man in a financially motivated attack in San Jacinto are in custody, two of whom are awaiting arraignment, authorities said Friday. Elias Shane Miranda, 21, and Ramon Alejandro Mora, 41, both of San Jacinto, were formally arrested and charged in the last week in connection with the 2019 slaying of Christopher Antonio Gutierrez, also of San Jacinto. In December, Miranda’s and Mora’s co-defendant, 24-year-old Diego Ernesto Brane of San Jacinto, was arraigned, pleading not guilty to first- degree murder, robbery, a special-circumstance allegation of killing for financial gain and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations. He’s being held on $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside and is scheduled to appear for a felony settlement conference on April 21 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. According to Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Ed Baeza, Miranda and Mora were already in custody for unrelated cases — Miranda in Riverside, and Mora in San Bernardino. Their charges are identical to Brane’s. Baeza said that with the two men now charged, "no further suspects" are outstanding. Miranda, who is being held without bail at the downtown Riverside jail, is slated to be arraigned on March 14 at the Banning Justice Center. Mora, who is being held without bail at the San Bernardino County Central Detention Center, is awaiting transfer to Riverside County. According to Baeza, on the afternoon of Nov. 15, 2019, the defendants allegedly targeted Gutierrez in the 100 block of Jordan Avenue, near First Street, shooting the victim to death. Baeza alleged that the men fled before patrol deputies converged on the location. Gutierrez was found in grave condition from the gunshot wounds and was taken to a regional trauma center, where he died that night. A specific motive for the attack was not disclosed. Central Homicide Unit detectives took over the investigation and ultimately gathered sufficient evidence to obtain an arrest warrant for Brane, who was located in custody at the Robert Presley Jail, awaiting disposition of several cases, including one for alleged attempted murder in July. The circumstances connected to that case were unavailable. Court records show Brane has prior misdemeanor convictions for making criminal threats, harassment by telephone and presenting false identification to a peace officer. His arrest ultimately led to additional evidence pointing to the alleged involvement of Miranda and Mora. Miranda has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County. However, Mora has priors for attempted murder and auto theft, according to court documents. Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.