San Bernardino, California – Five men have been charged with the murder of six people in the San Bernardino County desert near El Mirage. The suspects are accused of not only shooting the victims but also robbing them, according to the criminal complaint filed in Superior Court.
The District Attorney’s Office has not disclosed what was taken during the robbery, but Sheriff Shannon Dicus has stated that the groups met up for a marijuana deal under the cover of darkness before the fatal incident occurred. The complaint alleges that four men opened fire with rifles during the meeting.
If convicted, all five defendants could potentially face the death penalty. However, District Attorney Jason Anderson has not announced whether he plans to pursue that penalty.
On Tuesday, Jan. 30, Toniel Baez-Duarte, 35, and his brother Mateo Baez-Duarte, 24, both residents of Apple Valley, pleaded not guilty to the charges in Superior Court in Victorville. The three other defendants, brothers Jose Nicolas Hernandez-Sarabia, 33, and Jose Gregorio Hernandez-Sarabia, 36, as well as Jose Manuel Burgos Parra, 26, all residents of Adelanto, had not yet been arraigned due to undisclosed medical issues not related to the shooting.
The defendants are accused of killing Baldemar Mondragon-Albarran, 34, of Adelanto; brothers Franklin Noel Bonilla, 22, and Kevin Dariel Bonilla, 25, both of Hesperia; and three others, including a 45-year-old victim whose identity has not been officially revealed by authorities.
The Sheriff’s Department has not confirmed whether the defendants are affiliated with a cartel, but Sheriff Dicus has observed that their alleged actions point to organized crime. The department has emphasized the prevalence of violence among illicit marijuana growers, with Sgt. Derek Stokes urging the public to report any suspicious activity related to clandestine growing operations.