Deliberations underway in trial of felon accused of killing Mecca man

An Indio jury began its first full day of deliberations today in the trial of a probationer accused of gunning down a Mecca man outside his home while searching for the victim's brother -- the real target of the defendant's wrath.   

Gilbert Contreras Martinez Jr., 36, of Coachella, is charged with murder, being a felon in possession of a loaded firearm and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations for the 2018 slaying of 40-year-old Hugo Nunez.

The prosecution and defense completed closing arguments in the nearly two-week trial Thursday, after which Riverside County Superior Court Judge Otis Sterling sent the jury behind closed doors at the Larson Justice Center.   

The panel deliberated briefly Thursday afternoon and resumed the process Friday morning.

Martinez is being held without bail at the Benoit Detention Center in Indio.

According to a trial brief filed by the District Attorney's Office, the defendant was romantically involved with a woman whose mother was in a "periodic" relationship with the brother of the victim, a Mecca resident.  

Nunez's brother and his girlfriend were sometimes involved in spats that led to the woman, identified only as "A.R.," telling relatives he had been physically abusive, even though there was no evidence to support the allegations, the brief said.  

On the night of April 8, 2018, A.R. threatened to expose Nunez's brother's alleged bad behavior in phone calls to family members, prompting him to take preemptive action and start making calls himself, according to court papers.   

One of the calls was to A.R.'s 10-year-old grandson, who became disturbed and cried when he spoke with Nunez's brother, which led to Martinez intervening and calling Nunez's brother, threatening to "kick his ass" for bothering the boy, the brief stated.   

Nunez's brother told the defendant to "(expletive) off" and further said he would be willing to fight him anytime, according to the narrative.  

That prompted Martinez to grab several handguns, jump into his 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe and go searching for Nunez's brother in Mecca, prosecutors alleged.   

The defendant went to the residence that Nunez shared with his brother along Fifth St. and spotted Hugo Nunez walking out of the home, at which point Martinez shouted, looking for his brother, while several witnesses watched, the victim stepped closer to the roadway and asked why the driver wanted to know,
according to the prosecution.   

"Don't worry about it,'' came the reply, prompting Hugo Nunez to answer, "Well, that's my brother, and I'm going to worry about it,'' the brief said.

Sheriff's investigators alleged Martinez then pulled a semiautomatic firearm and fired four shots into the victim's chest before speeding away.

Neighbors came to Nunez's aid, and he was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, where he died less than two hours later.   

Because detectives lacked a specific description of the driver of the SUV and other details, the investigation spanned a full year before Martinez was formally charged and arrested.

Court records show he has prior convictions for reckless driving and possession of controlled substances.