Man Convicted Of Murdering His Cousin In RivCo Two Decades Ago

RIVERSIDE, CA — A 52-year-old man who gunned down his cousin in a dispute over two decades ago was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder and other charges.

After deliberating one full day, a Riverside jury on Thursday found Luis Contreras guilty of the murder count and a sentence enhancement of using a firearm in the commission of a felony for the 2005 slaying of 38-year-old Alfonso Vera.

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Jurors got the case for a brief period Wednesday, following closing arguments by the prosecution and defense. Court minutes indicated Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jerry Yang was informed Thursday afternoon that a unanimous verdict had been reached. The judge scheduled a sentencing hearing for Monday, evidently after the defense requested expedited resolution.

The lapse of only a few days between conviction and sentencing in a murder case is almost unheard of.

No details were immediately available ahead of the court holiday Friday.

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, joined his cousin, Fernando Contreras, in going to a party hosted by their other cousin, 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.

Contreras immediately confronted Darlene, triggering a heated verbal altercation that turned physical.

"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 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, prompting him to pull the gun on the victim.

In the ensuing confrontation, the defendant 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 events, as well as the identities of the parties involved, according to the brief.

Investigators said 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 in Mexicali on July 8, 2024.

He was extradited back to the U.S. a couple of weeks later.

Court records indicated the defendant has a prior felony conviction for which he served time in state prison, but no details were available.