Jury Convicts Two In Yard House Shooting

INDIO -A jury convicted a Moreno Valley man for the shooting of a man during a robbery at a Rancho Mirage restaurant.

Julio Cesar Reyes, 27, was found guilty of attempted murder and armed robbery with enhancements for using a firearm during the crime. The same jury convicted a second man, Issac Bazan Lopez, 25, of Indio, of felony hit-and-run causing injury for an incident that happened as they fled the scene of the shooting.

The prosecution contended Reyes and Lopez were drinking on the patio on September 8, 2008, at the Yard House in Rancho Mirage.

They began talking to the victim as he smoked a cigarette on the patio. During their conversation, Lopez asked the victim for a cigarette and the victim gave him one. After about 10 minutes of conversation, Reyes whispered something to Lopez and Lopez grabbed his car keys and left.

Moments later, Reyes pulled a semiautomatic handgun from his waistband, pointed it at the victim and demanded his wallet. The victim gave Reyes his watch and went to reach for his wallet in his back pocket. While he was reaching for his wallet, Reyes shot the victim in the stomach. Reyes then ran to meet Lopez, who was waiting nearby in the getaway car.

Reyes and Lopez sped away and later crashed into a Rancho Mirage home. A man sleeping in the home was crushed by the vehicle and sustained substantial injuries. Reyes and Lopez fled the scene of the crash but were later apprehended.

“I am glad that, with the verdicts of this jury, we were able to achieve justice for these two victims who can now put this violent incident behind them,” Deputy District Attorney Brian Bolland said.