Pretrial motions begin for man accused of killing Cathedral City teen
MURRIETA, Calif. (KESQ) - Pretrial motions got underway today ahead of jury selection for the trial of a man accused of gunning down a 17-year-old Cathedral City boy in a car-to-car shooting.
Juan Alfredo Landeros Garcia, 24, of Cathedral City is charged with first-degree murder, shooting at an occupied vehicle and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations for the 2020 slaying of Isaiah Guerra.
Garcia's case was transferred Monday from the Larson Justice Center in Indio to the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, where a courtroom was available for trial proceedings.
On Tuesday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Johnnetta Anderson received motions from the prosecution and defense regarding evidence, witnesses, scheduling and related matters. Jury selection was expected to start before the end of the week.
Garcia is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center.
According to the Cathedral City Police Department, shortly before 8 p.m. on April 4, 2020, Guerra was driving in the area of Avenida Alvera and McCallum Way when he was allegedly targeted by the defendant, for reasons that were not disclosed by police.
Garcia fired more than a dozen rounds from a semiautomatic firearm while in another vehicle, investigators alleged.
The victim was struck 11 times, causing him to crash into palm trees. The defendant allegedly sped away from the location as witnesses called 911.
Patrol officers and paramedics arrived minutes later and discovered Guerra slumped over the wheel of his car. He was gravely wounded but still showing signs of life, prompting first responders to attempt resuscitative measures that were unsuccessful; he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives procured videotape from security surveillance cameras mounted on several homes near the intersection, enabling them to piece together what happened and identify the vehicle from which the shots were fired, according to the prosecution.
Garcia was identified as the alleged perpetrator, and an arrest warrant was served on him two days later on Modalo Road, where he was taken into custody without incident.
He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
