Two men and a woman ranging in age from 18 to 22 pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of killing a rival gang member and injuring his girlfriend, who were attacked with knives and machets in Lake Forest.
Jose Rafael Andrade Membreno, 22, of Mission Viejo, Xiomara Elizabeth Berrios, 18, of Lake Forest, and Edwin Francisco Diaz, 18, of Mission Viejo, were charged earlier this month with the Oct. 1 crimes.
The victim who died is identified only as Marco M. in the criminal complaint. Carrie Braun, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, declined to release the victim’s identity, citing the ongoing investigation, but said he was in a rival gang.
The victim’s girlfriend, who was also not identified, was stabbed in the chest, but survived the 2:30 a.m. attack at the Forest Glen Apartments in Lake Forest, prosecutors said.
The three defendants are charged with murder and criminal threats, with a sentencing enhancement for gang activity. Berrios is additionally charged with assault with a deadly weapon; Membreno faces a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a machete; and Berrios and Diaz face sentencing enhancements for the personal use of a knife.
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