A 19-year-old man accused of joining two cohorts in the robbery-murder of a Winchester resident was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder.
Joe Natividad Orosco of Riverside was arrested Monday morning following a Riverside County sheriff’s investigation into the slaying earlier this month of 21-year-old Gustavo Hernandez.
Along with murder, Orosco is charged with robbery, a special circumstance allegation of killing in the course of a robbery and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
He made his initial court appearance before Superior Court Judge O.G. Magno, who appointed him a public defender and scheduled his arraignment for April 3 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
The defendant is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
Orosco’s two alleged partners, Omar Arango and Ricky Martin Ortiz, both 19, were arrested two weeks ago. Arango is charged with first-degree murder and a special circumstance allegation of killing in the course of a robbery. Ortiz is charged with murder, two counts of gun assault, child endangerment and the same special circumstance allegation.
Arango and Ortiz are also slated to be arraigned on April 3. Each is being held without bail — Arango at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta, and Ortiz at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Ben Ramirez, Orosco was identified following an investigation that culminated in findings that a third party was allegedly involved in gunning down Hernandez as he sat in his vehicle on March 4 in the 28000 block of Whitaker Street, near Grand Avenue, just northwest of Winchester.
Ramirez alleged that the defendants and victim had a late-night encounter — it was unclear whether he knew them — at the location, during which Hernandez was shot several times with a handgun.
Witnesses called 911, and patrol deputies reached the scene within a few minutes, but Hernandez was already dead, and the perpetrators had fled, according to Ramirez.
The amount of money and other possessions allegedly taken from the victim were not disclosed.
Both Arango and Ortiz were arrested three days later in the Perris area.
None of the defendants have documented prior adult felony convictions Riverside County.
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