Accused Killer Of Lakeside's Bobby Henderson Denied Lower Bail

A man accused with a teenage accomplice of fatally stabbing a 16-year-old Lake Elsinore boy and wounding the victim's friend lost his bid today to have his $1 million bail lowered.

Fernando Moreira Aresta, 44, of Lake Elsinore has been held at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning since his Aug. 22 arrest. He has pleaded not guilty to the crime.

Aresta, along with a 16-year-old boy whose identity has not been released, are charged with murder and assault with a deadly weapon resulting in great bodily injury in connection with the fatal stabbing of Lakeside High School student Bobby Henderson near the intersection of Garfield and Monroe streets in Lake Elsinore's Presidentials neighborhood.

Aresta's attorney, Christopher Harmon, asked Riverside County Superior Court Judge Judith Clark to slash the defendant's bail by half or more based on his lack of violent criminal history.

Clark denied the motion and set a felony settlement conference in the case for Oct. 11.

According to sheriff's investigators, the attack happened around 11:30 on the night of May 25. Deputies were called to Garfield and Monroe to investigate an assault and found the 16-year-old and an 18-year-old friend suffering from stab wounds, investigators said.

The teen was lying on the ground, unconscious, and died at a hospital a half-hour later, according to Sgt. Todd Torrenti.

Witnesses told investigators that the boy was intervening in an attack on the 18-year-old when he was stabbed. The motive for the assault on the 18- year-old, whose name was withheld, was unclear. He suffered non-life- threatening injuries, according to Torrenti.

Deputies were able to locate a blood trail leading away from the location of the assault, but how Aresta and his co-defendant were ultimately identified has not been disclosed.

The 16-year-old is being held at Southwest Juvenile Hall in Murrieta. --City News Service