RIVERSIDE, CA — Prosecution testimony was underway Wednesday in the trial of a 52-year-old man accused of gunning down his cousin just over two decades ago during a dispute at the victim's house party in Riverside.
Luis Contreras is charged with first-degree murder and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a firearm in the commission of a felony for the 2005 slaying of 38-year-old Alfonso Vera.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jerry Yang seated a jury last week for Contreras' trial at the Riverside Hall of Justice. Court records indicated the prosecution and defense delivered opening statements before the weekend, and the government's initial witnesses were called Tuesday.
Testimony is expected to wrap up next week.
Contreras is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail.
According to a trial brief filed by the District Attorney's Office, on the evening of June 14, 2005, the defendant, then 31 years old, joined his cousin, Fernando Contreras, in going to a party hosted by their other cousin, 38-year-old Alfonso Vera, at his residence in the 4700 block of Doane Avenue, near Wells Avenue.
Fernando Contreras arrived at the location in a hostile mood because his girlfriend, identified only as "Darlene," had gone to the party with another woman in his vehicle without checking with him first or offering to pick him up along the way, the brief said.
Fernando Contreras immediately confronted Darlene, triggering a heated verbal altercation that turned physical, prosecutors said.
"Vera attempted to stop the altercation," according to the brief. "The defendant was standing nearby, with a firearm in his hand. When Vera noticed the gun, he made a comment to the defendant."
It was possibly a request to put the pistol away, or leave the residence, but witnesses were evidently unsure of the victim's exact words.
The Riverside Police Department said in a statement released last year that Luis Contreras sided with Fernando Contreras in the dispute with Darlene and didn't believe Vera had any right to intervene, allegedly prompting him to pull the gun on the victim.
In the ensuing confrontation, the defendant allegedly fired 13 shots at Vera in close proximity, killing him on the spot, court papers stated.
Luis Contreras then jumped into a Toyota Camry with another partygoer, identified as "Arturo," and fled the scene, according to the prosecution. Fernando Contreras and several other people also left the location before Riverside police officers arrived.
However, after speaking with the remaining witnesses, homicide detectives quickly pieced together the alleged events, as well as the identities of the parties involved, according to the brief.
Investigators alleged that Luis Contreras made a run for the Mexican border within 48 hours. He remained a fugitive from justice, allegedly hiding out south of the border until 2024.
The murder investigation was inactive until the police department's Cold Case Unit resumed searching for the defendant, with the help of the U.S. Marshals Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force. The investigation pointed to Contreras' likely whereabouts, and Mexican National Police were asked to serve a fugitive warrant and take him into custody, which they did without incident in Mexicali on July 8, 2024.
He was extradited back to the United States a couple of weeks later.
Court records indicated that the defendant has a prior felony conviction for which he served time in state prison, but no details were available.
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