Two men accused of killing a 21-year-old Riverside motorist in a car-to-car shooting must stand trial for capital murder, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Freddy Cebrero, 29, and Francisco Rodriguez, 25, both of Riverside, are accused in the 2021 slaying of Damian Preciado.
Following a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Helios Hernandez found there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial for the pair on the first-degree murder charge, as well as a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations. He also affirmed evidence to justify an allegation of shooting from a moving vehicle.
The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Dec. 5 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Both defendants are being held without bail — Cebrero at the Benoit Detention Center in Indio, and Rodriguez at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
According to Riverside police spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback, at 11:20 a.m. Sept. 19, 2021, Rodriguez and Cebrero encountered Preciado at the intersection of Arlington Avenue and Tyler Street, just west of downtown, and allegedly opened fire as he sat in his vehicle.
The victim was struck several times and died at the scene, Railsback said.
He said no suspects were immediately identified, but in the ensuing weeks, detectives developed leads indicating the deadly attack was likely gang-related, and that the two assailants were allegedly Cebrero and Rodriguez.
No other details were disclosed.
Cebrero was taken into custody without incident in Yucca Valley on Dec. 28, 2021. He has no documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions in Riverside County.
Rodriguez was arrested uneventfully in Riverside on Jan. 11, 2022. He also has no documented priors in the county.