Lady Justice oversees son who murdered his father. Photo via Shutterstock
An attorney for a man accused of fatally beating his ex-girlfriend’s 64-year-old father and mother after attacking her, then holding Inglewood Police at bay for two hours while perched on a rooftop, raised doubt Monday as to his client’s sanity.
Edward Fernando Ruiz, 33, of Inglewood, had been set to be arraigned, but did not enter a plea. Instead, a sanity hearing was scheduled for April 17.
The defense attorney’s move came after prosecutors amended a criminal complaint against Ruiz, adding a second murder count and special circumstance allegations that make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.
Ruiz was originally charged with the murder of Genaro Pastore and the attempted murder of 69-year-old Maria Pastore, who lingered in a coma before dying March 27.
Ruiz also faces one count each of injuring his child’s mother after a prior domestic violence conviction, violation of a domestic violence court order after a prior conviction and resisting an executive officer, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
In the amended complaint, prosecutors added the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder in commission of a burglary. Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek the death penalty.
According to the criminal complaint, Ruiz was convicted in 2010 of second-degree robbery, in 2006 of a misdemeanor count of injuring his child’s mother and in 2005 of first-degree burglary with a person present.
Prosecutors allege that Ruiz went to his ex-girlfriend’s home on March 10 and attacked her, leaving before police arrived and the woman went to a hospital.
Ruiz allegedly returned to the home while his former girlfriend was out of the house and beat her father, who died at the scene, and mother.
Ruiz then allegedly climbed onto a nearby rooftop, triggering a precautionary lockdown at nearby Morningside High School until he climbed down and was arrested with the help of a police dog.
Ruiz is being held on $4 million bail.
—City News Service
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