A Riverside jury deliberated only a few hours Monday before convicting Martel Patrick McBride and Kenneth Hahn Wilson, both 24 and of Hemet, of the 2018 slayings of 19-year-old Lauren Lopez of San Jacinto and 22-year-old Patrick Powell of Hemet.

Along with the murder counts, Wilson was additionally convicted of special circumstance allegations of taking multiple lives, as well as sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jason Armand scheduled the defendants’ sentencing hearing for May 3 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

Wilson is expected to receive life in state prison without the possibility of parole, while McBride is facing 50 years to life in prison.

Each man is being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

Co-defendants Alexis Mary Garcia and Ariel Irene Savoie — both 25 and of Hemet — pleaded guilty last year to two counts of voluntary manslaughter. The women are scheduled to be sentenced later this month. They’re also being held at the Smith jail — Garcia without bail, and Savoie in lieu of $2 million bail.

According to a trial brief filed by the District Attorney’s Office, the conflict leading to the attack originated with Savoie and Powell, who had been romantically involved until breaking off their relationship shortly after she gave birth to his only child.

On the morning of Jan. 3, 2018, the two met at her Hemet residence to discuss a loan he needed for car repairs. The talk about money turned heated, and Powell became physical with Savoie, snatching her mobile phone and driving away in his black 2016 Chevrolet Spark, according to the prosecution.

Savoie conveyed to her new boyfriend, Wilson, what had happened, as well as her friends, McBride and Garcia, who were dating. Prosecutors said Savoie was incensed over her phone being taken, and her friends encouraged her to go after Powell.

They all piled into Garcia’s Nissan Sentra and soon spotted the Chevy hatchback on the Ramona Expressway. However, Powell was in the front passenger seat, and Lopez, his new love interest and Savoie’s cousin, was in the driver’s seat, according to court documents.

A chase ensued, during which Garcia sped after the other car, going around multiple vehicles until all parties came to a stop at the four-way intersection of Ramona Expressway and Warren Road.

The brief said that Wilson was in possession of a Luger 9mm semiautomatic handgun, and when Garcia stopped her car alongside the Chevy, the defendant jumped out of the Nissan and fired multiple rounds through the driver’s side of Powell’s vehicle, as well as the rear window.

Garcia and Savoie later told sheriff’s investigators they were in shock, never intending for the victims to be shot. Wilson quickly returned to Garcia’s vehicle, climbing into the backseat with McBride, after which the defendants sped away.

The Chevy hatchback rolled into a ditch, and several motorists called 911 to report what they had witnessed. Powell had stumbled out of the car after taking several bullets to the back and chest. He died before the ambulance arrived. Lopez was shot in the head but survived until reaching Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley, where she died less than an hour later.

Based on security surveillance videotape obtained from area businesses and witnesses’ statements, detectives were able to piece together the chain of events, culminating in the defendants’ arrests over the ensuing weeks.

None of the them had prior documented felony or misdemeanor convictions.

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For more than two decades, AAUW San Gorgonio Pass Group of the Redlands Branch has hosted this invigorating conference to actively and strategically engage, influence, and motivate eight-grade girls to succeed in school and pursue careers in STEM fields.

The exciting day-long event kicked off with a keynote address from motivational speaker Amber Jazairi, who encouraged participants to set goals and find ways and work hard to achieve them. “Your mind will propel you in any direction you choose and it’s all your choice,” Jazairi said.

AAUW gathered professional women from various science, technology, engineering and math fields to participate by sharing their experiences and the opportunities available to girls interested in STEM careers. Among these is a veterinarian who demonstrated the process of how to treat a lame horse, using math to calculate the correct dosage of medicine for the animal based on its weight.

Participants attended sessions and had fun exploring different career paths and areas of study in the STEM fields, giving them a chance to explore careers they may not be familiar with. The conference also instills confidence in students through activities, networking, and collaboration amongst their peers and other local students.

MSJC’s STEM pathway is designed to create opportunities for students to become more informed about science-related careers. Programs help students succeed and prepare them for transfer and careers in STEM fields of study.

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The Mt. San Jacinto Community College District (Mt. San Jacinto College/MSJC) and the Beaumont Unified School District are excited to announce a partnership to launch Beaumont Middle College High School (BMCHS), a program that is intended to provide a seamless pathway for students from high school to community college.

BMCHS will feature a collaborative high school model with direct access to college-level courses and services in a community college setting. The program, housed at MSJC’s San Gorgonio Pass Campus, will allow students to begin college-level coursework as they are finishing high school and prepare for either a four-year institution or receive their associate degree and enter the workforce.

“Mt. San Jacinto College is proud to continue its long history of collaboration with Beaumont Unified by working together on this innovative Middle College program,” said Dr. Roger Schultz, superintendent/president of MSJC. “The Middle College program will increase high school graduation rates, provide students with courses that will offer college credits and serve students who are underrepresented.”

MSJC Trustee Brian Sylva represents the Pass Area, which includes Beaumont and Banning. Previously, he served on the Beaumont Unified school board.

“The Middle College vision and concept is something I have advocated for and truly believed in from its inception while I was a member of the Board of Trustees for Beaumont Unified. Now that vision has become a reality and the benefactors of that vision are the students of the Pass Area,” MSJC Trustee Sylva said. “Our students will now have access to a new pathway that will support them in the achievement of their educational goals.”

Beaumont Middle College High School will launch in the 2022-23 school year. More information will be shared in the near future on family informational nights, qualifications, and requirements for enrollment.

“I believe this is going to be an outstanding option for our students who are looking for the right path for their future,” said Steven Hovey, President of the Beaumont USD School Board of Trustees. “Our Board members are happy to see Beaumont Middle College High School moving forward through this great collaboration with MSJC.”

“We are thrilled to launch this incredibly exciting program in partnership with the Mt. San Jacinto Community College District,” said Mays Kakish, Beaumont USD Superintendent. “Our ultimate goal is to see our students graduate high school equipped with one to two years of college credits. Some could even receive an associate degree at the same time they get their high school diploma. We cannot wait to see the impact this innovative program will have on our students, especially those who may have not considered themselves college material.”

Students and families who are interested in or have questions about the program are encouraged to contact BUSD Director of College & Career Readiness Michael Breyer at 951-845-1631 or mbreyer@beaumontusd.k12.ca.us.

MSJC opened the San Gorgonio Pass Campus on Westward and Sunset avenues in Banning in 2008. Enrollments in face-to-face classes at the campus fell short of targets that would make it financially self-sustaining and the district continued to underwrite it. The COVID-19 pandemic made a deeper dent in face-to-face enrollments and shifted student demand to more online courses. In an ongoing effort to support the Pass Area, the college district will launch the Enterprise Resource and Innovation Center (ERIC) this year to help support entrepreneurs and economic growth in the region. The Middle College program will help Beaumont Unified with its need for expansion and help the region’s students who may not have considered themselves college material.

MSJC is one of California’s 116 community colleges. It serves about 27,000 annually throughout its 1,700-square-mile district. In addition to its San Gorgonio Pass Campus, MSJC has campuses in San Jacinto, Menifee, and Temecula.

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THERMAL

Man Arrested In Thermal After Barricading Himself In Home

A man who allegedly barricaded himself inside a Thermal home when sheriff’s deputies arrived to serve arrest and search warrants was behind bars today.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department received a complaint on Aug. 27 involving alleged criminal threats and a felon in possession of a firearm at a home in the 88700 block of Thermal, and arrived a week later with a warrant to search the home, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Sal Gonzalez.

When deputies arrived at the residence on Tuesday, 31-year-old Jose Eduardo Mascareno — who was also wanted on two outstanding felony arrest warrants — holed up inside, the sergeant said. Deputies initially deployed a remote-controlled robot and a K-9 unit to search the home before making entry, he said. They found Mascareno hiding behind a dresser in one of the bedrooms, Gonzalez said.

Mascareno was booked into the Indio jail, with bail set at $150,000.

City News Service

BANNING

Felon Charged with Leading Cops on 30-Mile Chase

Felony charges were filed today against a parolee accused of stealing an SUV in Hemet and leading law enforcement officers on a 30-mile chase into Moreno Valley, where he was captured.

Andrew Devin Barnes, 34, of Hemet, was slated to make his initial court appearance this afternoon at the Banning Justice Center on charges of evading and receiving a stolen vehicle and parole violations.

According to Hemet police Lt. Nate Miller, a patrolman cruising the 600 block of West Florida Avenue about 7 p.m. Thursday spotted a red Saturn Vue occupied by a man and woman who were behaving suspiciously.

The officer ran a check on the compact SUV’s license plate and confirmed that it had been reported stolen earlier in the week, Miller said.

He said the officer signaled the driver to pull over, and the convicted felon initially complied, but before the lawman could approach the Saturn, Barnes allegedly accelerated, triggering a non-injury pursuit that went north through San Jacinto and then west into Homeland, where Barnes turned onto northbound Interstate 215.

California Highway Patrol officers took over the high-speed pursuit, with a Riverside County sheriff’s helicopter crew tracking overhead, Miller said.

When the defendant reached Moreno Valley, he stopped on Golden Crest Drive and bailed out of the Saturn, leaving his female companion sitting in the front passenger seat, according to the lieutenant.

Officers quickly caught up to Barnes and took him into custody without further incident. He was booked at the Smith Correctional Facility, with bail set at $170,000.

The woman was questioned and released at the scene.

According to court records, the defendant has prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats and theft.

City News Service

CABAZON

Man Killed In Cabazon Crash ID’d

Authorities today released the name of a New Mexico man killed in a collision on Interstate 10 in Cabazon.

Scott Fliegel, 56, of Albuquerque, was pronounced dead at the scene of the two-vehicle crash, which was reported at 10:08 a.m. Tuesday on eastbound I-10 near Main Street, according to the California Highway Patrol and the coroner’s office.

Fliegel’s passenger, a 43-year-old woman from Albuquerque, was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center with moderate injuries, and the other driver, a  Torrance man, was treated for minor injuries at San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital in Banning, the CHP reported.

The 51-year-old motorist, whose name was not released, was weaving in and out of traffic in a 2008 Mercury Marquis when he swerved into Fliegel’s Ford F-150 pickup truck in another lane, CHP Officer Darren Meyer said.

The back of the Mercury struck the front of the truck, causing both drivers to lose control of their vehicles, which slid sideways toward the right- hand shoulder, Meyer said. Both vehicles overturned, tumbled down an embankment and landed on Railroad Avenue just south of the freeway, he said.

Meyer said an investigation was underway to determine whether alcohol, drugs, driver distraction and mechanical failure may be factors in the Collision.

City News Service

HEMET

Water Leak in Hemet Causes Brown Water, Repairs Set to Resume

Work to repair a large leak in Hemet’s main water distribution line is set to resume today.

The leak occurred in a facility near Ivy Street and Carnation Avenue about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and stirred up sediments that turned water brown, according to the Hemet Water Department. It affected water pressure, turned water brown and prompted city officials to warn residents not to use tap water until repairs could be made.

Water department officials announced about 5 p.m. Tuesday repair crews had isolated the water main leak and secured the site for repairs.

Due to the location of the water main line impacted, the department asked all other utilities in the area to locate and mark any underground utility infrastructure near the repair site.

Ivy Street between Wildflower Street and Carnation Avenue will be closed during the repair, officials said.

The brown water caused by the main line leak should begin to subside as system pressure normalizes. Water department officials warned residents it could take up to 24 hours to flush the system and clear water of sediments and the brown color and they could experience a drop in water pressure while repairs were underway.

The discolored water is not dangerous, but the water department recommended that residents temporarily not use tap water for any nonessential purposes in order to allow time for the sediments to clear.

Once repairs have been completed, residents were urged to open their cold water faucets and let the water flow until clear, then do the same with the hot water. Once both cold and hot water was clear, water is ready for use as normal, the water department said.

City News Service

RIVERSIDE

Average Riverside County Gas Price Rises For Sixth Consecutive Day

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County posted its sixth consecutive increase today after dropping 23 times in 25 days to its lowest amount since March 26.

The average price rose eighth-tenths of a cent Wednesday to $3.581. It has risen 8.9 cents over the past six days, including 1.2 cents on Tuesday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It is 8.7 cents more than one week ago and 3.8 cents higher than one year ago but six- tenths of a cent less than one month ago.

The increasing pump prices stem from Southern California refiners buying gasoline supply on the wholesale market last week, which drove wholesale prices up by about 30 cents, according to Marie Montgomery of the Automobile Club of Southern California.

City News Service

INDIO

Man Accused Of Stabbing Sister To Make Court Appearance

A Desert Hot Springs man who allegedly stabbed his sister in the face is due back in court today.

Juan Angel Lopez, 38, is scheduled to appear this morning for a trial- readiness conference. He’s accused of attacking his sister on Dec. 7, 2017 at a transient camp in the Desert Hot Springs.

After the two argued on and off throughout the day, Lopez allegedly approached his then 35-year-old sister while she was talking to someone and stabbed her in the face with a knife, according to an arrest warrant declaration.

He was originally charged in early 2018 with attempted murder, mayhem and several sentence enhancements for causing great bodily injury, but a judge dismissed the attempted murder charge in January.

The nature of the argument between Lopez and his sister was not detailed in the warrant, nor was the severity of her injuries.

The sister, as well as other witnesses, positively identified Lopez as the suspect, according to the declaration, which also alleges that he sent several text messages to one of the witnesses that indicated he was coming to the area to stab his sister.

Lopez remains jailed in Indio in lieu of $1 million bail.

City News Service

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