Separate panels are hearing the case against two brothers, allowing the court to keep defendant-specific evidence from reaching the wrong jury.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The trial of two brothers accused of killing an Irondequoit family of four is testing a rarely used courtroom arrangement in Monroe County, with separate juries assigned to evaluate the evidence against each defendant during a single proceeding.
Julio Cesar Pimentel-Soriano and Luis Francisco Soriano are being tried together in connection with the Aug. 31, 2024, deaths of Fraime Ubaldo, 30; Marangely Moreno-Santiago, 26; and their children, Evangeline Ubaldo-Moreno, 4, and Sebastian Ubaldo-Moreno, 2. Both defendants face charges including first-degree murder, arson, kidnapping and burglary and have pleaded not guilty.
The dual-jury system allows much of the case to move forward in one courtroom while preserving separate consideration of evidence against each brother. When testimony or other evidence applies to only one defendant, the jury assigned to the other defendant can be removed from the courtroom. That distinction is expected to become important because at least one witness is anticipated to give testimony that concerns only one of the brothers.
The procedure is unusual in Monroe County. Former federal Judge Charles Siragusa, who prosecuted the county’s first dual-jury murder trial in 1988 while serving as an assistant district attorney, has said the arrangement can conserve court resources but requires careful management. Lawyers must essentially conduct portions of two trials at once while ensuring one panel does not hear evidence meant only for the other.
That challenge was evident as opening statements began Thursday before Judge Charles Schiano. Prosecutors alleged that a dispute over a missing drug package led to the killings, while the defense disputed key parts of the state’s account and questioned the investigation. Attorney Joseph Damelio, representing Pimentel-Soriano, argued that authorities reached conclusions too quickly and did not fully consider other explanations.
The prosecution alleges the defendants were involved with Ubaldo and Moreno-Santiago in receiving drug shipments at the family’s Knapp Avenue home. Assistant District Attorney Victoria Porter said a package sent there on Aug. 15, 2024, went missing and that the brothers suspected the couple of taking it. Prosecutors allege the dispute eventually led the brothers to the home about two weeks later, where the family was killed and fires were set inside the house.
The defense has pointed to gaps it says undermine the prosecution’s theory. Damelio noted that cameras were located inside and outside the residence but said the killings and the fires alleged by prosecutors were not captured on the recovered footage. He has also challenged the state’s account of who controlled the missing drugs and argued that investigators did not sufficiently pursue alternative possibilities.
An early dispute underscored how closely the trial will be managed. Damelio requested a mistrial after Porter used the word “slaughter” during her opening statement. Schiano denied the motion. In a case involving separate juries and evidence that may apply differently to each defendant, avoiding statements or testimony that could improperly affect either panel will remain an important part of the proceedings.
The case took nearly two years to reach a joint trial. Pimentel-Soriano was arrested soon after the 2024 killings. Authorities said Soriano left the country and was later located in the Dominican Republic, where he was arrested in 2025. He was extradited to the United States and pleaded not guilty after his return.
Two Irondequoit police officers testified after opening statements Thursday. Additional witnesses were expected as testimony continued Friday, with the court prepared to separate the juries when evidence is admissible against only one defendant. The trial has been expected to continue for several weeks.
Author note: Last updated August 28, 2026.