Four men accused of gunning down a 78-year-old Winchester resident during a home invasion robbery must stand trial for first-degree murder and other offenses, a judge ruled Thursday.
Clifford John Franken, 53, of Hemet, Matthew Patrick Fromer, 51, of Menifee, Kevin Richard Hirsch, 46, of Menifee and Joseph Michael Salvati, 34, of Hemet are accused of killing Robert Bettencourt on March 3, 2023.
Following a preliminary hearing Thursday at the Southwest Justice Center, Riverside County Superior Court Judge John Davis found sufficient evidence to bound the foursome over for trial on the murder count, as well as robbery, burglary and special-circumstance allegations of killing in the course of a robbery and killing in the commission of a burglary.
The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for the defendants on Oct. 6 at the Murrieta courthouse.
All of the men are being held without bail. Franken and Fromer are jailed at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta, while Hirsch is at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside, and Salvati is at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
According to Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Ed Baeza and court documents, the men allegedly forced their way into Bettencourt’s house in the 28000 block of Whitaker Street, near Grand Avenue, sometime on March 3, assaulting and ultimately shooting the victim to death.
The criminal complaint alleges Hirsch was the triggerman.
The victim’s fate remained unknown for three days, until loved ones contacted sheriff’s officials after unsuccessful attempts to reach him, prompting deputies to conduct a welfare check, Baeza said.
Bettencourt’s body was discovered inside the house, where indications of a struggle and forced entry were evident, according to investigators.
Over the ensuing two months, Central Homicide Unit detectives developed leads that ultimately pointed to the defendants as the alleged perpetrators, though specific details regarding the investigation weren’t provided, including what led them to allegedly target the victim.
Court documents show that Franken has a prior conviction for vehicle theft, while Fromer has a prior felony for driving under the influence of drugs, and Hirsch has two priors in another jurisdiction that weren’t listed.
Salvati has priors in Riverside County for carjacking and felony evading.