A man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a murder charge involving a suspected gang-retaliation shooting in Bay Terraces, as well as other charges stemming from an alleged conspiracy to commit other gang-related killings throughout the region, resulting in three additional slayings and three attempted murders since mid-2019.
Khristian Apan, 27, is accused in the July 12, 2019, shooting death of 20-year-old Joaquin Ruiz, who was found unconscious in a vehicle alongside the roadway in the 7000 block of Paradise Valley Road, suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper body. Ruiz was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Three co-defendants — Ethan Apan, 28, Kevin Herrera, 26, and John Orozco, 26 — are also charged with Ruiz’s murder and previously pleaded not guilty.
Deputy District Attorney Robert Eacret alleged the defendants targeted the victim in retaliation for the slaying of an allied gang member one week prior. The prosecutor alleged the men drove alongside Ruiz’s vehicle and opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle.
At Khristian Apan’s arraignment, Eacret said Apan and his co- defendants are accused in a long-running conspiracy to kill rival gang members, which resulted in the murder of Ruiz and three other people, as well as three attempted murders.
The latest criminal complaint charges seven defendants with conspiracy to commit a crime for conduct stretching from Feb. 23, 2019, to May 15, 2020.
Killings referenced in the complaint include the Aug. 1, 2019, shooting death of 57-year-old Marco Magana in Mountain View, the Feb. 8 shooting death of 19-year-old Leah Posey in Southcrest, and the May 15 shooting death of 27-year-old Juan Galvan in Shelltown.
Apan is also charged in a Jan. 4 attempted murder, in which he and others allegedly drove into rival gang territory and opened fire on a man, striking the victim in the leg, according to Eacret.
His co-defendants face charges in two other attempted murders that allegedly occurred on July 24, 2019, and Feb. 8 of this year, according to the complaint.
Last month, San Diego police announced several arrests in connection with a spate of homicides that occurred between 2018 and 2020. Police said “many of the cases appeared to be linked and involved the same suspects.”
Those suspects include Ismael Betancourt, 20, who was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the April 8, 2018, shooting death of 55- year-old Lowry Rivers in National City, and Jorge Sanchez, 18, arrested on suspicion of taking part in Marco Magana and Leah Posey’s murders.
At the time of the latest arrests, Sanchez was already in custody and charged with murder in connection with the July 15 slaying of his girlfriend, 19-year-old Emily Cortez, who was shot in a Mountain View apartment.
Though Betancourt and Sanchez are referenced in the latest complaint, they have not been arraigned in connection with the alleged over-arching conspiracy.
Others arrested and charged in connection with the case include 23- year-old Daisy Diaz and 30-year-old Raymond Sandoval, who were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. Diaz and Sandoval were slated to be arraigned Wednesday, but their arraignments were rescheduled for Friday.
— City News Service
