Deliberations begin for man accused in deadly Cathedral City knife attack
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) - Jury deliberations began today in the trial of a felon accused in a fatal knife assault on a 24-year-old Cathedral City man.
Johnny Ramirez, 34, of Escondido, allegedly joined 33-year-old Edgar Navez of Desert Hot Springs in the deadly attack on Ricardo Gallardo in 2020.
Both Ramirez and Navez are charged with first-degree murder and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.
Navez allegedly fled before a warrant could be served on him and has been at large since that time, his whereabouts unknown.
Following a week of testimony, the prosecution and defense delivered closing statements Monday, after which Riverside County Superior Court Judge Matthew Perantoni sent jurors behind closed doors to weigh evidence. They deliberated briefly before breaking for the day and are due to return to the Riverside Hall of Justice Tuesday morning.
According to a trial brief filed by the District Attorney's Office, Navez and Ramirez were driving around Cathedral City with little to do on the evening of Nov. 23, 2020, and Ramirez parked his car near the intersection of Aliso Road and Avenida Del Yerma, where he and Navez got out and walked around.
Moments later, Gallardo passed by them, triggering a shouting match, mainly between him and Navez, the brief said. It was unclear what prompted the hostility, though investigators later confirmed the defendants had some type of gang affiliation.
Navez allegedly pulled a knife, leading the victim to run away, with the defendant close on his heels and Ramirez trailing both of them by a second or two, according to the prosecution.
Navez quickly caught Gallardo, knocking him to the ground, at which point he started stabbing him, the brief alleged. A low-quality security surveillance video from a nearby business captured part of the ensuing attack. The tape indicated that Ramirez allegedly "either also stabbed the victim, or punched him,'' the narrative stated.
Gallardo suffered a total 11 puncture wounds to his head, chest and stomach, according to the brief.
When Navez and Ramirez fled the scene, the victim was able to stumble toward Ramon Road and Avenida Del Yermo, attracting the attention of multiple people, who called 911, according to the prosecution.
The young man was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, where he died that night.
Investigators alleged Ramirez dropped his mobile phone in front of a store while running from the scene, and a clerk spotted it on the sidewalk after passers-by began gathering around the mortally wounded victim. The man pointed it out to patrol officers, who seized the device and turned it over to homicide detectives.
"The cell phone ... could not be downloaded until 2023, when technology improved,'' the brief said.
A search warrant was obtained to access the phone's contents, and detectives uncovered a video allegedly showing Ramirez driving his vehicle, with Navez in the passenger seat, eight minutes prior to the deadly attack. Other videos also allegedly showed Navez and Ramirez posing with handguns and flashing gang signs.
Ramirez was ultimately arrested without incident on Aug. 8, 2023, in Escondido. Navez is described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighing 160 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Details on Ramirez's prior conviction, which did not occur in Riverside County, were unavailable.
