Trial date set for Yucca Valley woman accused of killing man at apartment

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) - A June 11 trial date was confirmed today for a 23-year-old woman accused of joining two young men in robbing and killing a Riverside man in his apartment.

Merlin Perales Ortiz of Yucca Valley was arrested in December 2020 following a Riverside Police Department investigation into the slaying of 20-year-old Wesley Flores Miranda.

Ortiz is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy and special circumstance allegations of killing in the course of a robbery and killing for the benefit of a criminal street gang.

During a status conference Wednesday at the Riverside Hall of Justice, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Joshlyn Pulliam conferred with the prosecution and defense regarding scheduling, and the two sides agreed to make preparations for trial proceedings in the first half of June.

The defendant is being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

Her co-defendants, Isaiah Israel Rodriguez and Cristian Alejandro Runkle, now both 21, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to second-degree murder. In addition to murder, Rodriguez admitted a sentence enhancing gun use allegation. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Runkle was sentenced to 15 years to life.   

According to Riverside police, on the night of Nov. 8, 2020, the defendants went to Miranda's apartment in the 5200 block of El Cerrito Drive in the Canyon Crest neighborhood of south Riverside and confronted the victim at gunpoint.

During the holdup, Miranda was shot several times in the upper body, investigators said.

They alleged the trio fled with an undisclosed amount of cash and other valuables. Paramedics arrived a short time later and pronounced the victim dead at the scene.   

Four weeks of collecting evidence culminated in detectives identifying the defendants, all of whom were taken into custody without incident in San Bernardino County.

Court records show Ortiz has no documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions. However, since she was jailed over three years ago, she has been charged with assault resulting in great bodily injury for an unspecified confrontation at the Smith lockup.