Man Executed On Remote Anza Roadside, 3 Charged In Killing

ANZA, CA — One of three men accused of abducting, severely beating and fatally shooting an Anza man because they believed he might betray their trust concerning a series of marijuana farm thefts is slated to be arraigned a week from Friday.

Joe Anthony Serna, 35, of Anza is charged with first-degree murder, assault and a special-circumstance allegation of killing in the course of a kidnapping.

He's being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta and is slated to be arraigned at the Southwest Justice Center on March 5.

His co-defendants are George Frank Holley Jr., 37, of Oklahoma City, and Nico Manuel Zahir, 26, of Anza.

Zahir was arraigned last month, pleading not guilty to the same charges, as well as sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations. Holley is awaiting extradition from Oklahoma and is charged with murder and kidnapping.

The trio are accused of killing 42-year-old Brian Messina in November.

According to Riverside County sheriff's investigators, the defendants all suspected that Messina was secretly gathering evidence against them in connection with multiple armed thefts at illegal cannabis cultivation sites in the Azna Valley.

Holley was the first to make the allegation against his former friend, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed by sheriff's Detective Lance Stoyer.

He wrote that Holley had witnessed Messina using his mobile phone to record audio of conversations the men had concerning the marijuana grow thefts.

"Holley privately spoke to Serna about the recordings and planned to search Messina's cellular phone without Messina's knowledge or consent," according to the affidavit.

The men were ultimately able to access the phone, and while scanning data, "Serna saw a social message that Messina had sent (stating) that if he, Messina, were to go missing or found dead, Serna would be responsible for the murder," Stoyer said.

The three alleged conspirators became convinced Messina was a liability, prompting a confrontation at a residence in the 39600 block of Howard Road in Anza on the night of Nov. 29, according to court papers.

In a later interview, Holley told investigators that a verbal altercation erupted, and Serna and Zahir attacked the victim, with Zahir allegedly striking him on the head with a handgun numerous times, and Serna kicking him, the affidavit stated.

The defendants beat Messina into submission, then forced him into a Toyota Tundra pickup and drove to a remote section of Bautista Road, where they all go out, Stoyer alleged.

Zahir allegedly used a shotgun to execute the victim on the side of the road, according to the affidavit.

None of the defendants has documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.