Death Penalty On The Table After Kidnapping Victim Fatally Shot In Front Of IE Deputies

SAN BERNARDINO, CA — Prosecutors filed a murder charge Monday against an Irvine man following last week's deadly Chino Hills kidnapping that authorities said stemmed from a business dispute.

Jianquan Bo, 66, faces a murder charge with a special-circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of a kidnapping, along with a firearm enhancement, San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson announced during a news conference.

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Because of the seriousness of the charges, Bo could face capital punishment, Anderson said. While California maintains an executive moratorium on executions, prosecutors can still seek death sentences at trial.

The charges follow the July 29 killing of Chino Hills resident Shukur Aikebaer, 60, a married father of three adult daughters. San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said Monday that the slaying was a "calculated act of violence."

Around 10:14 p.m. the night of the killing, deputies responded to reports of gunfire in the 2100 block of Monteverde Drive, where Aikebaer lived. Investigators said power to Aikebaer's home was cut, prompting him to step outside to investigate.

Waiting in the dark were Jianquan Bo and his 67-year-old brother, Zhengfeng Bo. The unarmed victim was ambushed, shot, and shoved into the trunk of the suspects' vehicle.

Deputies spotted the vehicle minutes later and initiated a 2-mile pursuit through Chino Hills. When the vehicle finally stopped in the 2400 block of Wandering Ridge, Jianquan Bo jumped out of the passenger side. Zhengfeng Bo emerged within seconds from the driver's side with a firearm, opened the vehicle trunk, and shot Aikebaer again, Dicus said.

Deputies immediately opened fire, killing Zhengfeng Bo at the scene. Jianquan Bo was uninjured and taken into custody.

Aikebaer was pronounced dead at the scene, with Dicus noting the second shooting by Zhengfeng Bo likely inflicted the fatal blow.

According to the sheriff, deputies did not know a victim was inside the vehicle's trunk when the brothers were pulled over.

Authorities said the brothers and the victim had a business relationship involving an Irvine-based company, and the attack appears to have been driven by a "financial loss."

The Irvine Police Department is assisting in the ongoing investigation.

Jianquan Bo speaks Mandarin and details about the brothers' relationship with the victim have been difficult to ascertain due a language barrier, according to Dicus.

Although Jianquan Bo did not fire the fatal shot, Anderson alleges that evidence shows he was aware of and participated in the planned violence.

The accused does not have a criminal record, according to Discus.

A GoFundMe campaign created to support Aikebaer's family had raised more than $34,000 by late Monday morning.

"No family should ever have to endure the heartbreak of losing somebody they love so suddenly and unexpectedly, especially in such a senseless act of violence," the GoFundMe reads.

The Aikebaer family is cooperating with the investigation, Anderson and Discus said.

"They are anxious for justice," according to Anderson.