2 Thermal men charged in murder of 21-year-old plead not guilty

Two Thermal men suspected in the killing of a 21-year-old man found dead in a burning vehicle pleaded not guilty today to murder and kidnapping charges.

On Jan. 24, deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department discovered the remains of Thermal resident Guillermo Jacobo in a burned vehicle in a desert area near Highway 195 and 70th Avenue in the unincorporated community of Oasis.  

Jacobo was originally reported missing by his family on Jan. 19. According to his family, Jacobo was last seen and heard from at 3 a.m. on Jan. 19, taking two friends to a bus stop at Airport Boulevard. There was no word on whether the two suspects were those two friends.

Eusebio Elias-Vargas, 22, was arrested early Thursday and Jose Manuel Elias-Sanchez, 22, was arrested Wednesday, according to the sheriff's department. How they were identified as suspects in the case was not specified.

The Riverside County District Attorney's Office on Monday charged the pair with one felony count each of murder and kidnapping to commit a robbery. The murder charge includes a special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of a robbery, opening them up to the death penalty if prosecutors decide to pursue it.

The duo appeared at the Larson Justice Center later on Monday, where they pleaded not guilty to the charges and were ordered back in court on March 30 for a felony settlement conference.

Both remain behind bars at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta, where they were being held without bail.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates on this case.