A suspected gang member accused of leading police on a car chase through Desert Hot Springs was charged with multiple felonies Monday, including evading arrest and firearm possession.

Faustino Navar, 33, of Desert Hot Springs, allegedly led sheriff’s deputies on a Thursday morning pursuit through the city before abandoning the vehicle near Calle Barranca and making an unsuccessful attempt to escape on foot. The chase began when sheriff’s Gang Task Force members spotted “a person of interest” driving a car near Little Morongo Road and 13th Avenue and the motorist — later identified as Navar — sped off when they tried to make a traffic stop, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Paul Heredia.

Navar was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning in lieu of $100,000 bail.

He’s scheduled to be arraigned Monday afternoon on charges of evading arrest, eluding a pursuing peace officer, resisting arrest, possession of a firearm and possession of controlled substances.

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Two alleged gang rivals charged with the murder of a 3-year-old boy in a Compton liquor store parking lot shootout are both being held in lieu of $3.1 million bail.

Dwayne Christopher Ward, 30, and Kevaughn Harris, 27, are also facing one count each of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle and possession of a firearm by a felon in the death of toddler Franklin Ponros.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges Friday and are scheduled to return to the Compton courthouse on April 20, when a date is expected to be set for a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.

If convicted as charged, Ward and Harris face possible life in prison.

Prosecutors allege that on the evening of Jan. 20, Harris was walking toward a car parked in the lot in the 2800 block of West Alondra Boulevard when he and Ward, who was sitting in another vehicle, got into some kind of verbal dispute. Both men allegedly pulled out handguns and opened fire.

Harris’ girlfriend and her 3-year-old son Franklin were sitting in the parked car Harris was approaching and the toddler was fatally shot in the exchange of bullets. His mother was not injured, according to authorities.

Surveillance video showed the shooting and both cars driving off. Deputies responded to an address about a mile away, where the mother apparently went to seek help. They took the boy to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Harris was arrested the next day and Ward surrendered to police two days after the shooting.

Najee Ali, director of Project Islamic Hope, told NBC4 that Ward called him to say the shooting was in self-defense and Ward wasn’t aware there was a child in the car.

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Two veteran Gardena Police Department officers, one of them a resident of northwestern Riverside County, are facing federal charges for allegedly running a scheme in which they bought “off-roster” firearms not available to the public and then resold the weapons, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

Carlos Miguel Fernandez, 42, of Norwalk, and Edward Yasushiro Arao, 47, of Eastvale were instructed to appear April 3 for arraignment in downtown Los Angeles on a five-count indictment alleging they conspired to sell about 100 weapons — mostly Colt .38-caliber pistols — without a license.

Gardena police Chief Edward Medrano said the officers were immediately placed on administrative leave, and the department has cooperated fully during the investigation.

“We are deeply concerned about the case,” Medrano said in a statement. “This type of conduct is inconsistent with our organizational values and the ethics of our profession and will not be tolerated by the Gardena Police Department.”

Prosecutors allege Fernandez advertised guns offered by himself, Arao and others on his Instagram account. Arao, who was the CEO of Ronin Tactical Group, a federal firearms licensee, similarly advertised guns on his company’s account, the indictment alleges.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office also contends that both 17-year veterans of the Gardena police force marketed firearms at gun shows although neither defendant was licensed to engage in the business of firearms dealing at the time of the offenses alleged in the indictment.

“Off-roster” handguns are not available to the general public, but can be legally purchased by law enforcement officers.

Through messages on Instagram and other means, Fernandez and Arao allegedly negotiated the prices and terms of the sales, and accepted payment for the guns once they were delivered, according to the indictment.

The indictment was unsealed Friday after two other defendants in the case pleaded not guilty in federal court to charges that they engaged in a “straw purchase” transaction involving a gun sold through Fernandez.

The indictment alleges that Oscar Morales Camacho Sr., 63, of Salinas, falsely certified that he was purchasing a firearm for himself in a 2017 private-party transfer, when he in fact was buying the gun for his son, Oscar Maravilla Camacho Jr., 34, also of Salinas.

Camacho Jr. has a prior criminal conviction that prohibits him from possessing firearms. The indictment alleges that Fernandez and both Camachos “well knew (that) defendant Camacho Sr. was not the actual buyer of the firearm.”

The indictment also alleges a second “straw purchaser” transaction in which a South Los Angeles woman purchased two firearms for her boyfriend. As in the other straw purchase alleged in the indictment, Bianca Elizabeth Ibarria, 23, and Adalberto deJesus Vasquez Pelayo Jr., 24, also of South Los Angeles, are charged with making a false statement in a federal firearm licensee’s records during purchase of a firearm.

Ibarria and Pelayo also have been directed to appear for arraignment on April 3.

Each count in the indictment carries a penalty of up to five years in federal prison. If convicted of all charges, Fernandez would face up to 15 years and Arao could be sentenced to as much as 10 years behind bars, prosecutors said.

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One of four men charged with breaking into a Palm Springs pharmacy after hours and stealing prescription medication pleaded guilty Tuesday to felony counts of burglary, grand theft and transporting drugs across county lines.

A sentencing date was not immediately set for Marcus Fantroy II, 29, of Whittier, who admitted breaking into the pharmacy in the 1700 block of East Vista Chino on Sept. 20, 2017.

His co-defendants, Lequan Miller, 27, of Perris, Johnny Newman, 30, of Los Angeles, and Jamel Sanders, 33, of Olivehurst, are due in court April 13 for a felony settlement conference.

Palm Springs police Sgt. William Hutchinson said “multiple bottles of prescription medication” were taken in the 1:05 a.m. break-in.

Police learned that the suspects made their getaway in a gold Cadillac CTS sedan, which was spotted about two hours later on the westbound San Bernardino (10) Freeway by a West Covina police officer. The car, with Miller behind the wheel, was stopped near Puente and North Garvey avenues, and all four suspects were arrested. Prescription bottles with labels from the Palm Springs pharmacy were found inside the Catdillac, Hutchinson said.

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A man allegedly found with 12 dead dogs inside a stolen truck in Thousand Palms last month is facing a dozen felony animal cruelty counts.

Douglas John Yates, 55, is also charged with one count of receiving stolen property in connection with his Feb. 15 arrest on Varner Road.

Yates, who’s out of custody on $10,000 bail, was initially contacted for the stolen vehicle investigation, after which deputies located the deceased dogs, according to sheriff’s Deputy Armando Munoz. How the dogs died was not disclosed.

Yates pleaded guilty to misdemeanor animal cruelty in 2006 in connection with several emaciated dogs and cats he kept at a La Quinta property. According to a probation officer’s report, Yates was working as a contractor at a La Quinta rental home in 2003, and kept two dogs there while the homeowners were away, initially with their permission.

Animal Control officers were first called to the home on a report of two abandoned canines, and found “that both dogs had no food or water and feces was scattered over the floor.”

Months later, the homeowners called Animal Control, alleging that Yates had also brought seven cats into the home without permission, according to the report, which says the animals were diagnosed with “emaciation, dehydration and malnutrition” by a veterinarian.

La Quinta Animal Control Officer Steve Alexander stated in the report that “he has only observed one other dog is such a severe malnourished and neglected condition as the defendant’s two dogs.” The officer also recommended that Yates “be prohibited from owning or caring for animals.”

The report noted several other past occasions when Animal Control officers cited Yates for housing an excessive number of animals.

Yates is slated to appear Monday morning for arraignment at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

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The attorney for a man accused of stealing actress Frances McDormand’s Oscar from her table at the Governors Ball after the Academy Awards ceremony said Wednesday that he is hopeful that there will be a resolution to the case by the time his client is back in a Los Angeles courtroom on May 1.

Terry Bryant, 47, is charged with a felony count of grand theft for allegedly lifting McDormand’s Oscar statuette, which she won for her work in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” on the evening of March 4.

“We hope to have a resolution at that time (the next court hearing), and if not the matter will proceed to a preliminary hearing and the witnesses will be attending some time between the first of May and within a month or so after that,” defense attorney Daniel Brookman told reporters.

He said the charge his client is facing is “serious,” but said he doesn’t think “that the facts of the case warrant” the charge, which could carry up to three years behind bars.

“… I’m sure that once all the evidence comes in that the case will be modified somewhat,” Bryant’s attorney said. “It’s our hope that this charge will be dropped in its entirety, but that remains to be seen.”

Bryant was arrested by Los Angeles police the night of the Oscars ceremony and released from jail in the early morning hours of March 8 on his own recognizance, despite the prosecution’s objection.

Police said Bryant had a ticket to the Governors Ball at the Hollywood & Highland complex.

Bryant took a video of himself holding the Oscar at the motion picture academy-sponsored after-party and posted it online. It shows him holding the statuette and saying, “Look at it, baby. My team got this tonight. This is mine. We got it tonight, baby.”

A photographer who works for celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck subsequently took a photo of Bryant holding the Oscar while apparently making his way toward the exit and helped security detain him until police arrived, according to reports from the scene.

Bryant refers to himself online as an entertainment journalist and a film and music producer. His social media accounts also include photos of him at the Emmys, Screen Actors Guild Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. He has a minor criminal past in Oregon, with arrests from 1999 to 2002 for criminal mischief and theft, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The celebrity news website TMZ.com reported that McDormand has no interest in seeing Bryant prosecuted, but the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, which technically owns the statuette and is listed on the police report as the victim of the theft, wants the book thrown at him.

Bryant’s attorney said the defense is hoping to reach out to McDormand to “get her input on the case.”

Rabbi Naomi Levy told reporters outside court that she has known Bryant for a number of years. She noted that “people have been warning me to stay clear of this story because perhaps maybe it doesn’t reflect well on me or my community, but my conscience tells me that it’s not alright to distance myself from someone who needs help.”

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Four men and a woman have been charged in connection with the kidnapping, torture and robbery of a victim in a Costa Mesa motel, police said Wednesday.

Michael Camardi, 27, of Santa Ana, Katherine Dudley, 22, of Huntington Beach, Kaiewa Haoletanno, 25, of San Juan Capistrano, Jason Sacdalan, 27, of Costa Mesa and Joseph Spellman, 29, of Costa Mesa, have been charged in connection with the Feb. 11 attack, according to Roxi Fyad of the Costa Mesa Police Department.

Police were called about 9:15 p.m., Feb. 11, to a shopping center in the 2300 block of Harbor Boulevard to assist a 38-year-old man, who was bleeding from his head as he sought help from store employees, Fyad said.

The victim told investigators he was forced to drive another 30-year-old male victim and several suspects to a nearby motel, Fyad said.

The 38-year-old man was beaten and stabbed at the motel while his captors took his credit cards and vehicle, Fyad said. The other victim managed to get away before the group got to the motel, Fyad said.

Haoletanno was the last of the suspects to be taken into custody following a month-long investigation, Fyad said. Haoletanno was arrested Saturday.

Haoletanno is charged with assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, torture, kidnapping, kidnapping to commit robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, car theft, all felonies, as well as false imprisonment, a misdemeanor, according to court records. He is next due in court April 20. Camardi faces the same charges.

Co-defendants Dudley, Spellman and Sacdalan are charged with the same felonies, but also faces sentencing enhancement allegations for gang activity, according to court records.

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A convicted felon accused of holding a Moreno Valley man at gunpoint and stealing his possessions was charged Thursday with armed robbery.

Anthony Ray Lopez, 21, was arrested Monday following a three-week investigation by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Along with the robbery count, Lopez is charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a gun in the commission of a felony.

He’s being held in lieu of $30,000 bail and is slated to make his initial court appearance Thursday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Jeremy Harding, Lopez allegedly contacted the victim, whose identity was not released, on March 4, expressing interest in a gaming console that the man had advertised via the OfferUp app.

The defendant and victim made arrangements to meet that evening at a restaurant in the 23000 block of Sunnymead Boulevard to settle on the purchase, Harding said.

Shortly before 10 p.m., the victim connected with Lopez, and as the two discussed business, the convicted felon allegedly brandished a handgun and demanded that the man relinquish the electronic gear and other possessions, the sergeant said.

Lopez allegedly fled the location, and the seller called 911.

In the ensuing weeks, detectives developed leads pointing to the defendant as the alleged perpetrator and obtained a search warrant, which was served at his residence in the 800 block of Caden Place on Monday afternoon. The console and other evidence were seized, Harding said.

Lopez was taken into custody without incident.

Court records show he has a prior conviction that disqualifies him from probation, but the offense was not specified.

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A convicted felon accused of holding a Moreno Valley man at gunpoint and stealing his possessions was charged Thursday with armed robbery.

Anthony Ray Lopez, 21, was arrested Monday following a three-week investigation by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Along with the robbery count, Lopez is charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a gun in the commission of a felony.

He’s being held in lieu of $30,000 bail and is slated to make his initial court appearance Thursday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Jeremy Harding, Lopez allegedly contacted the victim, whose identity was not released, on March 4, expressing interest in a gaming console that the man had advertised via the OfferUp app.

The defendant and victim made arrangements to meet that evening at a restaurant in the 23000 block of Sunnymead Boulevard to settle on the purchase, Harding said.

Shortly before 10 p.m., the victim connected with Lopez, and as the two discussed business, the convicted felon allegedly brandished a handgun and demanded that the man relinquish the electronic gear and other possessions, the sergeant said.

Lopez allegedly fled the location, and the seller called 911.

In the ensuing weeks, detectives developed leads pointing to the defendant as the alleged perpetrator and obtained a search warrant, which was served at his residence in the 800 block of Caden Place on Monday afternoon. The console and other evidence were seized, Harding said.

Lopez was taken into custody without incident.

Court records show he has a prior conviction that disqualifies him from probation, but the offense was not specified.

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Jurors deadlocked Thursday in the trial of three of the four men charged in the killing of a 13-year-old Whittier girl who was taken to a remote area of Elysian Park, where she was raped and shot to death nearly 17 years ago.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler declared a mistrial after jurors reported that they could not reach a unanimous verdict on the murder charge against Santos Grimaldi, 35, Melvin Sandoval, 38, and Rogelio Contreras, 40, stemming from Jacqueline Piazza’s June 2001 killing.

The downtown Los Angeles jury was handed the case March 7 and deliberated over portions of 12 days. The panel split 8-4 in favor of acquitting Grimaldi and Contreras and 9-3 in favor of acquitting Sandoval, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

The jury acquitted Contreras of one count of kidnapping to commit another crime, but did not reach a verdict on the same charge against Grimaldi and Sandoval.

Prosecutors plan to retry the case.

The three men are due back in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom May 4 for a pretrial hearing.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Grimaldi and Sandoval. Contreras could face life in prison without parole if he is convicted as charged.

A separate jury convicted a fourth defendant, Jorge Palacios, on March 1 of first-degree murder and kidnapping to commit another crime. That jury also found true the special circumstance allegations of murder during a kidnapping, murder during a rape or attempted rape and murder during the commission or attempted commission of a lewd act on a child, along with gang and gun allegations.

Palacios is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole, with sentencing set for April 11.

In the trial of Grimaldi, Contreras and Sandoval, Deputy District Attorney Dayan Mathai said the evidence showed that Palacios told the men that they had to get rid of the teenage runaway after he and his girlfriend beat the girl, whom he called an enemy.

The prosecutor told jurors that Grimaldi, Sandoval and Contreras took the crying girl — who was eventually forced to ride in the trunk of the car — to a wilderness area in Elysian Park, where her body was found the next morning by a hiker walking with his dog.

“This crime against Jacqueline was a violent murder where she was shot twice in the head and this is how she was left,” Mathai said, showing jurors a photo of the victim wearing only a pair of socks and shoes.

The prosecutor said the teenager had been raped, with DNA testing showing that a sample consistent with Sandoval’s DNA was found on a vaginal swab taken from the victim and that a DNA sample consistent with Grimaldi’s DNA was collected from her breast.

Sandoval’s attorney, Victor Salerno, told jurors that his client had sex with the teen, but didn’t have any motive to murder her.

“He’s not here to be judged for having sex with that young girl,” the defense attorney said, telling jurors that his client had no reason to sexually assault the girl in the park and urging the panel to acquit Sandoval.

Contreras’ attorney, Richard LaPan, said his client was “telling you the truth” and “shouldn’t be a defendant.”

“Your duty is to find the truth,” he said. “Please don’t guess. Guessing convicts innocent people.”

Palacios, Grimaldi, Sandoval and Contreras were indicted in May 2012 in connection with the girl’s killing.

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A Los Angeles-area dentist accused of conspiring to torch his Corona office to collect property insurance payouts is facing more than a dozen felony charges.

Dr. Armen Shaant Megerdichian, 51, of Winnetka was arrested Monday and arraigned on 13 felony counts, including filing false insurance claims, concealing facts in the process of filing a claim and grand theft.

Megerdichian pleaded not guilty before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Emma Smith, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for July 11 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

The doctor posted a $600,000 bond and was released from the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside on Monday afternoon.

Megerdichian’s alleged co-conspirator, Jonas Borsca Jr. of Riverside, was arrested and charged last month with filing a fraudulent insurance claim and knowingly preparing a false claim Borsca posted a $35,000 bond and was released from custody prior to his scheduled arraignment.

Another defendant, 57-year-old Cornel Lucaci of Corona, is charged separately with arson, burglary, filing false insurance claims, grand theft, forgery and identity theft.

Lucaci is being held in lieu of $2 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning. He’s scheduled to make a pretrial appearance Wednesday at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

The defendants allegedly orchestrated an arson at the Parkridge Dental Spa on Parkridge Avenue in March 2014. The business not only offered dental services, but also therapeutic cosmetic treatments.

The total sum of insurance payments disbursed after the fire was unclear.

Corona Fire Department arson investigators turned up clues that the blaze had been intentionally set, but gathering and processing evidence to justify charges in the case took four years, authorities said.

According to the Dental Board of California, Megerdichian has an active license to practice dentistry. He has no documented prior felony convictions.

Borsca and Lucaci also have no documented priors in Riverside County.

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A Perris man accused of killing his passenger and injuring several other people in an alcohol-fueled collision in Hemet last month was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder and other offenses.

Brandon Todd Brassard, 24, was arrested Friday after he was released from the hospital.

Along with the murder count, Brassard is charged with driving under the influence resulting in gross vehicular manslaughter, two counts of DUI with injuries and multiple sentence-enhancing great bodily injury allegations.

He’s being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta and is slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Banning Justice Center.

According to Hemet police Sgt. Dan Reinbolt, Brassard was at the wheel of a Ford Focus that plowed into a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck while going through the intersection of Mountain Avenue and Soboba Street about 10:30 p.m. on March 24.

Reinbolt, who did not disclose which vehicle had the right of way, alleged that the defendant caused the wreck because he was under the influence.

Brassard’s front seat passenger, 23-year-old Timothy Gibbons of Hemet, was taken to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley, where he died an hour later.

Several people in the pickup were also injured and hospitalized, but they are recovering.

According to court records, Brassard has multiple traffic-related convictions in Riverside County, but no documented prior felony convictions.

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A Perris man accused of killing his passenger and injuring several other people in an alcohol-fueled collision in Hemet last month was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder and other offenses.

Brandon Todd Brassard, 24, was arrested Friday after he was released from the hospital.

Along with the murder count, Brassard is charged with driving under the influence resulting in gross vehicular manslaughter, two counts of DUI with injuries and multiple sentence-enhancing great bodily injury allegations.

He’s being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta and is slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Banning Justice Center.

According to Hemet police Sgt. Dan Reinbolt, Brassard was at the wheel of a Ford Focus that plowed into a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck while going through the intersection of Mountain Avenue and Soboba Street about 10:30 p.m. on March 24.

Reinbolt, who did not disclose which vehicle had the right of way, alleged that the defendant caused the wreck because he was under the influence.

Brassard’s front seat passenger, 23-year-old Timothy Gibbons of Hemet, was taken to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley, where he died an hour later.

Several people in the pickup were also injured and hospitalized, but they are recovering.

According to court records, Brassard has multiple traffic-related convictions in Riverside County, but no documented prior felony convictions.

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A 60-year-old Perris man accused of holding a young girl against her will and sexually assaulting her was charged Wednesday with three counts of lewd acts on a child.

Graylin Dennis Williams, who is also charged with false imprisonment, made his initial court appearance before Superior Court Judge David Gunn, who appointed him a public defender and scheduled his arraignment for April 18 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

Williams, who is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta, was arrested Saturday at his residence in the 200 block of Citrus Avenue, near Orchard Road.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Aaron Avila, deputies were alerted to an alleged assault involving the defendant that afternoon and interviewed the child, identified only as a preteen girl whose relationship to Williams, if any, was not disclosed.

She alleged that Williams had “grabbed” her and held her in a secluded area, where he molesting her for a brief period of time, according to Avila.

Detectives questioned the defendant, who was taken into custody without a struggle.

He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

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A man recently charged with the deaths of a dozen dogs found inside a stolen U-Haul truck in Thousand Palms is facing additional animal cruelty charges involving nine cats allegedly left inside a Palm Springs storage facility unit, one of which died, court papers show.

Douglas John Yates, 55, pleaded not guilty Monday to a dozen felony animal cruelty counts and one count of receiving stolen property involving the 12 dogs found dead inside the U-Haul truck on Feb. 15.

Yates, who’s out of custody on $10,000 bail, was initially contacted during the stolen vehicle investigation, after which deputies located the deceased dogs, according to sheriff’s Deputy Armando Munoz. How the dogs died was not disclosed.

He rented the U-Haul from Blythe Freeway Towing on Jan. 15, but failed to return it, according to an arrest warrant declaration. The company reported the truck missing to police a week later, triggering a felony vehicle theft charge.

This week, prosecutors filed nine new animal cruelty counts and a single count of burglary against Yates for allegedly leaving nine cats inside a unit at StorAmerica Self Storage in Palm Springs. The cats were inside the unit for at least four days in June 2017 until it was forced open by another person renting a unit at the facility, the declaration states.

The cats were “confined in small cages, which were covered in feces and urine, within the locked and unventilated storage unit,” according to a police statement.

Yates pleaded guilty to misdemeanor animal cruelty in 2006 in connection with several emaciated dogs and cats he kept at a La Quinta property. According to a probation officer’s report, Yates was working as a contractor at a La Quinta rental home in 2003, and kept two dogs there while the homeowners were away, initially with their permission.

Animal Control officers were first called to the home on a report of two abandoned canines, and found “that both dogs had no food or water and feces was scattered over the floor.” Months later, the homeowners called Animal Control, alleging that Yates had also brought seven cats into the home without permission, according to the report, which says the animals were diagnosed with “emaciation, dehydration and malnutrition” by a veterinarian.

La Quinta Animal Control Officer Steve Alexander stated in the report that “he has only observed one other dog is such a severe malnourished and neglected condition as the defendant’s two dogs.” The officer also recommended that Yates “be prohibited from owning or caring for animals.”

The report noted several other past occasions when Animal Control officers cited Yates for housing an excessive number of animals.

Yates is slated to return to court April 11 for a felony settlement conference.

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Two felons accused of robbing a Perris store and shooting at a security guard while making their getaway, then later attempting to evade sheriff’s deputies, were both charged Wednesday with armed robbery and other offenses.

David Joseph Esparza, 28, and Jose Rangel, 27, were each arrested last Thursday following a pursuit in Perris.

Along with robbery, Esparza is charged with sentence-enhancing allegations of being a felon in possession of a firearm and committing a criminal offense within five years of parole from state prison, as well as probation violations, and Rangel is additionally charged with shooting at an occupied vehicle, assault with a firearm, evading arrest, being a felon in possession of a gun and parole violations.

Both men pleaded not guilty during a joint arraignment before Superior Court Judge David Gunn, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for April 10 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

The defendants are being held at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta — Esparza in lieu of $35,000 bail, and Rangel in lieu of $1 million bail.

Shortly after midnight last Wednesday, they allegedly stormed the Circle K at 3995 Perris Blvd., where Rangel is accused of leveling a handgun at the clerk while Esparza allegedly stole various merchandise.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Curt Harris said a security guard working a night shift happened to stop by the outlet and was just stepping inside when the ex-cons, apparently frightened by the uniform, bolted outside, nearly knocking the man over. The pair allegedly fled in an SUV, which the victim attempted to follow, he said.

“One of the suspects fired his weapon at the guard and accelerated to distance themselves from the witness,” the sergeant said, adding that the man immediately backed off and returned to the store.

Harris said the defendants could not be located by deputies who converged on the location. However, investigators obtained evidence that led them to identify Esparza as one of the alleged bandits, according to the sergeant.

Deputies staked out a residence in the 23000 block of Alma Street, where Esparza was believed to be holed up, Harris said. After several hours, the probationer, Rangel and a 19-year-old woman were observed leaving in an SUV that matched the description given by the guard.

“When (deputies) attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver led them on a pursuit around the southern part of Perris,” Harris said. “The pursuit ended in the same area where it began, and the occupants of the vehicle fled (on foot) in different directions.”

With the help of a sheriff’s helicopter crew, deputies eventually tracked down and arrested the trio without a struggle. No one was injured.

The woman was questioned and released.

According to court records, Esparza has prior convictions for auto theft, hit-and-run resulting in property damage and obstructing a peace officer. Rangel’s priors were not specified.

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An 18-year-old Riverside man accused of committing multiple holdups at stores in Jurupa Valley and Riverside was charged Wednesday with six counts of armed robbery

Samisoni T. Akauola was arrested Friday following an investigation by a regional task force staffed by Riverside County sheriff’s deputies and Riverside police officers.

Along with the robbery counts, Akauola is charged with sentence-enhancing gun use allegations.

He pleaded not guilty during an arraignment before Superior Court Judge David Gunn, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for April 13 at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

Akauola is being held in lieu of $630,000 bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Frank Lodes, the robbery series began in early March, targeting convenience stores in the Riverside area.

Lodes said investigators followed leads that pointed to Akauola as the alleged perpetrator, and a search warrant was obtained and served at his residence on Laurel Drive Friday morning.

“Police located credible evidence linking Akauola to the armed robberies,” Lodes said.

Akauola was taken into custody without a struggle.

He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

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A Desert Hot Springs resident charged in the shooting death of his roommate testified Thursday that the man assaulted and threatened to stab him after being asked to move out of the apartment.

Brian Keith Hernandez is charged with murder, assault with a gun and making criminal threats in the Feb. 28, 2017, death of 49-year-old Steven Nelson, who was shot in the back of the head at the Estancia Apartments, 13355 Verbena Drive. Nelson died the following day at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.

Hernandez, 49, testified that Nelson assaulted him, threatened to kill him, then twice reached for a knife out of a knife block in the apartment’s kitchen, prompting Hernandez to fire a warning shot, then the second shot that killed him.

According to Deputy District Attorney Anthony Orlando, an argument between Nelson and his girlfriend prompted the defendant to tell the couple that they had to move out. Four weeks after the argument, Hernandez insisted again, but Nelson and his girlfriend said they needed a few extra days, the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor’s trial brief alleges that the defendant told the couple: “You are gonna get out tomorrow, I don’t give a (expletive). It’s gonna go down tomorrow night if you don’t get out of here.”

But Hernandez testified that after asking Nelson to leave due to the girlfriend’s drug use, Nelson punched him twice in the head and placed him in a bear hug, forcing Hernandez to strike Nelson several times in the face in order to free himself.

Hernandez testified that he then went to his bedroom to retrieve his gun, at which point Nelson said he was going to stab him, then went to the kitchen to try and grab a knife.

Though Nelson’s attempt to grab the knife was unsuccessful, Hernandez said he shot Nelson out of “self-preservation. I was scared. I think he would have killed me. I really think he would have stabbed me to death.”

Hernandez said he felt justified in shooting Nelson, but regretted having to do it.

“I just wish the outcome was different,” he testified. “I just wish he would have left.”

The night of the shooting, a Desert Hot Springs police officer saw Hernandez pacing back and forth outside the apartment complex. Jurors heard a recording from the officer’s body camera recording device, which captured Hernandez telling the officer “Just check me and cuff me, I shot the guy upstairs.” Police found a .38-caliber revolver on his kitchen table.

Orlando said Nelson and Hernandez got into an argument that night in the apartment’s kitchen, and Nelson’s girlfriend, who was in a nearby bedroom, heard the defendant say, “So you want to play games?”

Nelson allegedly responded by saying, “Nah man. I’m not playing any games. What are you talking about? There is no games being played.”

The girlfriend later heard a gunshot, then ran out to find Nelson bleeding on the floor, according to the prosecution. Hernandez then pointed the gun at her and asked her “You want to be next?” according to Orlando.

Hernandez denied threatening or pointing the gun at her, saying he only told her to leave the apartment.

She then ran from the apartment, pounding on neighbors’ doors throughout the complex, leading one of the residents to call the police, the prosecutor said.

Hernandez is being held on $1 million bail.

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Three Orange County residents face charges of distributing the powerful narcotic painkiller Fentanyl and counterfeit opioids through the dark web and U.S. mail, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.

Wyatt Pasek, 21, of Santa Ana, Isaiah Suarez, 22, of Newport Beach, and Duc Cao, 20, of Orange, were arrested Tuesday, after warrants were served at their homes, and charged Wednesday, according to Thom Mrozek of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Authorities seized a pill press lab in Suarez’s apartment and about 6 1/2 pounds of what investigators suspect is counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax and nearly 10 pounds of white and blue powders that are being tested, Mrozek said.

Authorities seized 13,000 pills suspected to be counterfeit oxycodone and bundles of cash from Pasek’s residence, Mrozek said.

The three were caught following a six-month investigation led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Costa Mesa police.

Investigators suspect that from about Dec. 11 through March 20, the defendants made a profit of $189,599.68 in bitcoin from the alleged clandestine online drug shop, according to an affidavit prepared by DEA Special Agent Lindsey Bellomy.

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A 38-year-old convicted drunken driver made his initial court appearance Friday on murder and DUI charges stemming from a deadly collision on the Ortega (74) Highway in San Juan Capistrano.

Edward James Nani was charged with murder instead of manslaughter in the death last Saturday of 77-year-old Amparo Lopez of Murrieta because he pleaded guilty in April 2010 to driving drunk. Convicted drunk drivers who are involved in deadly collisions face the upgraded charge by law.

The head-on collision occurred about 8:30 p.m. last Saturday on the highway, east of Antonio Parkway, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Nani was driving a Mazda, which swerved into oncoming traffic and collided with a Honda driven by the victim’s boyfriend, said Senior Deputy District Attorney Whitney Bokosky.

Lopez’ s boyfriend, a 74-year-old Murrieta man, broke his leg in the crash, she said.

A witness driving behind Nani videotaped the defendant swerving and called police just before the crash, the prosecutor said.

A breath test indicated Nani’s blood-alcohol level was .13, over the legal limit of .08, according to court records.

Nani’s arraignment was rescheduled for April 20.

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