Beaumont Murder: 5 To Stand Trial In Death Of Jasmine Zuniga

BEAUMONT, CA — Two women and three men accused in the gang-related slaying of a 21-year-old Beaumont woman must stand trial on felony charges, a judge ruled Friday.

Samuel Jesus Acosta, 33, Francisca Perla Acosta, 35, Erika Cristell Garcia, 26, Ernest Ralph Granados, 27 -- all of Banning -- along with Matthew Zeus Munoz, 25, of Beaumont were arrested in March 2017 during a series of law enforcement raids connected to the death of Jasmine Zuniga.

At the end of a preliminary hearing Friday at the Banning Justice Center, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Chad Firetag found there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial for each defendant.

Samuel Acosta is charged with murder and kidnapping; Francisca Acosta is charged with being an accessory after the fact; Garcia is charged with attempted murder and kidnapping; Granados is charged with murder and street gang activity; and Munoz is charged with murder and kidnapping.

Firetag scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Oct. 19. All except Francisca Acosta are being held without bail or in lieu of bail amounts ranging from $1 million to $2 million at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning. Acosta is free on a $500,000 bond.

They were taken into custody during a sweep conducted by the Beaumont Police Department, with the assistance from the Corona, Hemet and Murrieta police departments, as well as the Riverside and San Bernardino County Sheriff's Departments.

According to Beaumont police Detective Robert Galletta, Zuniga was found fatally shot in her vehicle on Michigan Avenue, near Eighth Street, about 10:40 p.m. on March 4, 2017, after patrol officers were called to the area to investigate reports of shots fired.

Galletta did not disclose details about the shooting, or a possible motive behind it.

The three men have prior convictions. The women do not, according to court records.

— By City News Serivce / Image via Shutterstock