Crime & Safety
Retrial Wraps For Man Accused In Random, Deadly Temecula Attack
Brian Eldon Saylor, 32, of Temecula could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder for the death of Tammy Serrano
MURRIETA, CA — The defendant rested Thursday in his retrial for allegedly fatally bashing a 54-year-old woman with a liquor bottle while she was standing in line at a Temecula store.
Brian Eldon Saylor, 32, of Temecula could face 25 years to life in state prison if convicted of first-degree murder for the death of Tammy Serrano.
Saylor is acting as his own attorney and called no witnesses before resting his case. Prosecution testimony lasted about five days and involved multiple civilian and law enforcement witnesses.
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Riverside County Superior Court Judge Stephen Gallon scheduled closing statements for Friday morning at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.
Saylor is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center.
Find out what's happening in Temeculafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
A Murrieta jury on Sept. 15 deadlocked 11-1 in favor of convicting him of murder, resulting in a mistrial and an immediate decision by the District Attorney's Office to retry the case.
According to sheriff's Sgt. Ray Huskey, deputies were called to the CVS/Pharmacy at 31771 Rancho California Road, in the shopping district just off of Meadows Parkway, to investigate reports of an assault on the afternoon of June 13, 2016.
Witnesses, including the victim's daughter, alleged that Serrano was standing in the checkout lane when a stranger -- Saylor -- walked up and struck her without provocation in the back of the head with a 750 mL bottle of Jim Beam whiskey.
Serrano died the next day at Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar. She and the defendant had no known prior encounters, and a possible motive remains unclear.
When deputies arrived, pharmacy employees were holding the 6-foot-2, 240-pound Saylor, who was taken into custody without a fight.
In addition to eyewitnesses, part of the attack was captured by store security surveillance video cameras.
An employee from a neighboring outlet told reporters that the defendant was often seen walking around the area and appeared intoxicated but did not seem violent.
Saylor has no documented prior felony convictions.
— By City News Service / Image via Riverside County Sheriff's Department
