Jury selection starts for trial of man accused in near-deadly Desert Hot Springs robbery

Jury selection got underway today for the trial of a 29-year-old probationer accused of trying to kill a man with shots to the head during a Desert Hot Springs home invasion robbery, from which the defendant fled but was ultimately apprehended.   

Altonia Vontae Jackson Jr. is charged with attempted murder, robbery, carjacking, shooting at an inhabited structure, burglary, felony evading, probation violations and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations for the 2017 offenses.

Jackson's case was transferred last week from the Larson Justice Center in Indio to the Riverside Hall of Justice, where Riverside County Superior Court Judge Matthew Perantoni ruled on pretrial motions.

He summoned several panels of prospective jurors to the downtown courthouse Tuesday for screening as to their availability and qualifications. Testimony could begin before week's end.

Jackson is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.

He was arrested on July 30, 2017, following the alleged home invasion and shooting at the residence of Domenic "Butch" Tallarita in the 9700 block of Vista Del Valle, near Mission Lakes Boulevard.

During a 2020 preliminary hearing, Tallarita testified he awoke shortly before 7 a.m. to his wife screaming that somebody was in their garage, stealing the victim's dirt bike.

Tallarita said he sprinted to the garage, where he saw a man clad in motorcycle gear atop one of his dirt bikes.   

The homeowner was armed with a .45-caliber handgun when he flung open the door, but said he never got a chance to raise the weapon in self-defense before Jackson allegedly unleashed multiple rounds from his own handgun, striking Tallarita eight times -- including four shots to the head.

The victim's wife called 911 as the defendant pushed the dirt bike out of the garage, cranked it up and sped away, Desert Hot Springs police alleged.   

Patrol officers who had been alerted to the shooting saw a man on a motorcycle riding away from the area where the home invasion had been reported and gave chase, signaling the rider to stop.

The ensuing pursuit traveled southbound into Palm Springs, where Jackson pulled over on Indian Canyon Drive, near Interstate 10, and surrendered without further incident, police said.

Tallarita was critically wounded, undergoing extensive surgery, during which a portion of his skull was removed, as well as brain tissue, to dislodge one of the bullets, he testified.

He said that he suffered ongoing battles with seizures, kidney pain, depression and other issues requiring him to see medical professionals on an almost continual basis.

At the time of his arrest, Jackson was serving a three-year probation term stemming from a 2015 misdemeanor conviction for carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle without a permit.

If convicted, he could face life in prison with the possibility of parole.