Pretrial motions are slated to begin Wednesday ahead of jury selection for the trial of a documented gang member accused of gunning down a 20-year-old man and wounding his friend in a drive-by attack on the east end of Riverside.
Steven Daniel Carrillo, 24, of Riverside was arrested in November 2020 for the alleged slaying of Derrion Thomas of Rialto.
Carrillo is charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, a special circumstance allegation of killing for the benefit of a criminal street gang and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
On Monday, the defendant’s case was assigned to the courtroom of Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jerry Yang, who scheduled a hearing on motions pertaining to evidence, scheduling, jury instructions and related matters for Wednesday at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Carrillo is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail.
The defendant allegedly targeted Thomas and two other occupants of a vehicle going through the area of Chicago and University avenues on the night of Oct. 26, 2020. Officer Ryan Railsback of the Riverside Police Department said the victims were passing Carrillo’s car when gunfire erupted.
The defendant allegedly fired multiple rounds, striking Thomas in the upper body and his friend, whose name was withheld, in one of his legs, according to the police spokesman. The other occupant of the vehicle, also not identified, wasn’t hit.
The wounded driver managed to speed out of the Eastside neighborhood but crashed into a utility pole, where witnesses came to the victims’ aid and called 911, according to Railsback.
Thomas and his friend were both taken to Riverside Community Hospital, where Thomas died a short time later. The other wounded party ultimately recovered.
There was no indication that the victims were gang-affiliated.
The east end of Riverside, north of UC Riverside and south of downtown, has been plagued by gang violence in the past.
Carrillo was identified as the alleged perpetrator based on unspecified leads, Railsback said. The defendant was taken into custody without incident on Nov. 10, 2020, as he left a residence in the 2300 block of Candlestick Way in Perris.
He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.