A felon accused of fatally stabbing two transients during random attacks in downtown Riverside pleaded not guilty Thursday to two counts of first-degree murder and other charges.
Cesar Aguirre, 32, of Perris, was arrested last month following a Riverside Police Department investigation into the deaths of 54-year-old Richard Hinds and 57-year-old Corrina Segovia.
Along with the murder counts, Aguirre is charged with special circumstance allegations of targeting multiple people in a deadly crime and lying in wait, as well as sentence-enhancing allegations of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.
The defendant was arraigned Thursday before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jay Kiel, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Aug. 18 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Aguirre is being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center.
According to Riverside police Detective Steven Espinosa, sometime after midnight on March 11, Aguirre boarded an RTA bus near his Perris home and rode it into Riverside, where he began walking downtown streets.
Shortly after 2 a.m., he encountered Hinds in the area of 12th and Main streets. Espinosa alleged the defendant pulled a knife and stabbed the victim several times, then walked away, leaving the homeless man bleeding to death.
Moments later, at the intersection of 12th and Orange streets, Aguirre attacked Segovia, inflicting mortal knife wounds and then walking away, the police spokesman alleged.
“These were local homeless individuals known to frequent the downtown area,” he said. “Investigators later determined Aguirre’s attacks were unprovoked.”
The victims were discovered a short time later by passers-by, who called 911. Both died where they fell.
Aguirre was identified based on undisclosed evidence that Riverside police Chief Larry Gonzalez said the detective squad worked “around the clock” to procure. The defendant was tracked to his residence on Spectacular Boulevard, where he was taken into custody without incident on March 13.
Aguirre’s prior convictions were not listed by the court.
